


No Empty for the Winchesters

by Stormsong



Series: No Empty For The Winchesters [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst and Feels, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Fix-It, Fledglings, Gabriel (Supernatural) is Loki, Gen, Genderfluid Character, Growing Pains, M/M, Nephilim, Panic Attacks, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Pre-Castiel/Dean Winchester, Pre-Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Pre-Slash, Season/Series 05, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Wing Grooming, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-20 14:24:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10664496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormsong/pseuds/Stormsong
Summary: Dean and Castiel's child found out that Sam and Dean won't get an afterlife when they die. Because they don't want their Dad and Uncle to go to the Empty when they die, in true Winchester fashion, Dean and Castiel's child takes it upon their-self to change things. So they go to the past to rescue a much needed and powerful ally.





	1. How Gabriel Didn't Die

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic brought to you by writer's block.

The first thing that told Gabriel that he wasn't dead was that someone was speaking. It was an indeterminable voice. Neither male or female; or possibly both. The archangel thought it was his Father at first. Then the words became clearer and the speaker was talking about their own relatives.

“ _\- don't know if I'm doing something stupid or not. Probably. But what was I supposed to do when I find out that Dad and Uncle don't get an afterlife! That's all sorts of not fair! Yeah, they've been known to piss of people, but they did fix all the problems they caused, right?”_ The question was clearly rhetorical. Even if Gabriel could answer he didn't have enough information. Never mind the cognitive ability right then.

The speaker went on, unaware that their audience was rousing; at least somewhat.

“I really hope that I didn't surprise Papa and Dad too much that I took off like I did. I _am_ their child after all. I certainly couldn't let it it go that Dad and Uncle would die and Papa couldn't even visit them in Heaven. That is so wrong on so many levels!”

The more awareness Gabriel gained the more he wasn't sure he wanted to. It had nothing to do with the speaker, young as they seemed to be. Or what they had to say. And Gabriel was getting more concerned by the word. No, the archangel was becoming increasingly aware that he wasn't dead, but should have been. His vessel hurt too much for anything else. He distinctly remembered Luci stabbing him _with his own fucking sword!_ If Gabriel had the energy he would groan at the memory. As it was he didn't have the energy to open his eyes. Luckily, it didn't take any to listen to the speaker talk. For some reason the archangel felt it comforting to listen to their words. It also gave him something to focus on.

“Since I already decided to do something about it it was simply a matter of what. That was kinda simple too. Dad and Uncle had told me about their adventures. Okay, like they'd never call them that, but whatever. Anyways, I remembered about the times they told me about time travel. So I had to, ya know? Even if I can't fix the big events I'm hoping I effect enough of the little things that it'll change enough that Dad and Uncle don't have to go to the Empty when they die.”

The speaker ended with such a sad tone that the archangel hoped that the kid actually succeeded. No one deserved to go to the Empty when they died. Even Luci didn't have to suffer that. Not even Dad's sister was subjected to _that_. That brought Gabriel's thoughts around to wondering the kid was talking to a nearly dead guy.

He wasn't left wondering long.

“So I needed to figure out when and where. That, admittedly was a little harder to decide. Because there were soooo many things that Dad and Uncle did and people that they....” The kid took a deep breath. “Well, in the end I decided that Uncle needed some happiness too. Dad has Papa after all. Uncle would never admit it, but I know he's lonely. I've seen him when he's drunk and he thinks he's alone. Of course, that's the only time he gets that smashed. When he thinks he's alone.”

Gabriel knew what loneliness was too. As many centuries he'd spent on Earth away from Heaven and family.... The archangel knew how painful that kind of loneliness could hurt. _About as much as being stabbed in the chest by an archangel's blade. Dad! How am I not dead!_ Gabriel groaned. Dad, it hurt so damned much!

“When Uncle gets that drunk he talks. And he talks about you.” The kid scoffed. It might have been a scoff. Or something between a scoff and a snicker. “He never truly hated you, ya know? Sure he was upset about that thing you did at the Mystery Spot and the endless Tuesdays. And yeah, okay, upset is putting it mildly.... But you did do the whole thing here...what with the dying...well.... You would have but I....” The kid sighed. “Anyways...that went a long way for Dad and Uncle to forgiving you, but Uncle never forgot you. Even if he never talks about you when he's sober.”

It took a bit but Gabriel eventually figured out that the kid hadn't been talking to themselves at all this whole time. Apparently it had been enough for them to simply talk to a maybe unconscious person instead. The archangel still couldn't reply let alone open his eyes so he didn't bother.

The kid went on with his rambling story-like explanation.

“Even if I didn't come to you here and now, well, let's just say that Dad and Uncle always said that you were, even with all that you did, you were the least douche-est angel. From Dad that's saying something. Of course, that meant Papa aside.”

If it wasn't for the one really big clue Gabriel would still be wondering who in all of Heaven, Hell, and Earth this kid's relatives were. But there was only one Mystery Spot and string of endless Tuesdays they could be referring to. Gabriel's lips twitched at the memory.

“So if you're the least douche-est angel that meant that you were the only being powerful enough to make this whole thing work. So I came here from the future in the hopes that I could save you from not dying, Gabriel. But I had to wait till Lucifer was gone, _and_ make him think he did actually kill you, all while staying undetected from like _everyone_. And I gotta say that was harder than taking the Impala for a drive, without permission, on a hunt by myself. Without anyone knowing about it. Really really hard to do when your related to the Winchesters and your other parent is an angel.”

Gabriel _really_ wanted to laugh at that. All that came out was a groan.

The kid sighed. “I can't take even the slightest edge off your pain, or I would have. It doesn't seem a power I have.” The kid paused. “Yet, at least. I mean I seem to be getting most of my powers willy nilly. No particular order that I can tell. But anyways that's all besides the point.” The kid took a breath and went on with, “I would give you pain killers if I thought they had a remote chance of working.”

The archangel grunted trying to talk.

There was a rush of movement, cloth moving against cloth. Then Gabriel was being sat up just a bit and something wet pressed against his mouth. Water. Something the archangel never would have thought he would need. And he did. Just like that he realized he was thirsty!

When it was apparent that he couldn't drink anymore the bottle was removed from his lips.

With a now moistened tongue Gabriel gave talking another try. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk a lot and ramble too?”

The kid laughed. Which jiggled Gabriel causing him to moan. “Sorry. And actually, yeah. Uncle thinks it's hilarious.” There was a moment of silence before the kid spoke again. “Do you can move about? Cause I don't think we should spend what little of the night there is left here. Not that I think any of your old pagan pals will come investigate...or any of your other brothers for that matter, but....” The kid let the thought hang open, but it didn't have to be said. Better safe than sorry.

Gabriel gave the question serious thought. _Could_ he move? It really would be safer to recover somewhere else.

Having had a need for water at all meant one thing. Gabriel was low on grace. Which wasn't a surprise. Lucifer _had_ stabbed him pretty close to the heart. Any higher it _would_ have been a fatal wound. No amount of healing of his vessel would allowed the archangel to survive. Only because it _wasn't_ a fatal wound _and_ because the kid had traveled from whatever point in the future to save his bacon.... Without the heal assist Gabriel's grace would have eventually leaked out. Just like bleeding out for a human.

So maybe. Maybe if the pain wasn't too much for his almost human self to move about.

That brought up a good question.

“Hey, kid?”

“Yeah?”

“You only put a seal on the whole for now, yeah?”

“...yeah.” There was a bit of hesitation before, “I used a ton of mojo just to get to this time and then I had to conceal myself -”

Gabriel cut them off. “Hey, hey, kid! It's fine! I get it. You sealed me up and stopped me from leaking to death. I really can't ask for more than that. Thanks, kid.” That much talking seemed to take it out of the archangel, leaving his voice gruff by the end. The water bottle came back. After a few sips Gabriel was good again. “Thanks,” the word came out weaker than intended.

“No prob.” There was a small smile in the kid's voice. “By the way my name is Bobby Jo.”

“Heh. Figures.” Gabriel would never admit it, but he did keep a closer eye on the Winchester boys than they thought he did.

Without further thought the archangel decided it was beyond time to see if he _could_ do more than groan and drink water. So he started with the easiest. He cracked an eyelid. That didn't seem to go so bad so the other followed. Sure enough...there really wasn't much to see. The ballroom was in the same state as when he was fighting Luci. And it was still dark out as if not much time had actually passed since his older brother had stabbed him.

Moving though? That was painful. More than he ever wanted to experience again. Ever. For the rest of eternity. Siting up on his own? Yeah, no, not happening. Though Gabriel wasn't going to pass out from the pain he could not do it without aid.

The archangel groaned.

“I guess that answers my question,” Bobby Jo said more to themselves than to Gabriel.

Before he knew what happened Gabriel was being hoisted into a pair of arms. It happened so quick he barely had time to feel the pain it caused. He winced and a low “Ow,” slipped from his lips as the archangel finally got a look at his savior (some part of his hindbrain snorted at the word).

Like the voice it belonged to Gabriel could not tell if they were male or female. At least not by their face. As opposed to the gender he _had_ been right that they were young. The kid could not have been much older than eighteen. If at all. Other than that Gabriel could see without a doubt that this kid was certainly Dean and Castiel's.

“My knight in shining armor?”

Bobby Jo snorted. “I didn't exactly slay the dragon and I don't think you'd make a very good damsel in distress.” The kid grinned.

“Damsel? Yes.” Gabriel winked. “In distress?” He snorted. “Hells no.”

Bobby Jo laughed out right at that. When they noticed that it caused them to jostle Gabriel too much they stopped. They made their way out of the ballroom and through the destroyed motel as quickly as they could without causing the archangel to be jostled anymore than necessary.

“Do you have any idea where should go?” Bobby Jo asked the archangel.

Gabriel thought about that but shook his head. “Other than someplace far away from here? No clue.” He winced when Bobby Jo jostled him a bit getting out the front door. “Actually I might have an idea. Your namesake. Bobby Singer.”

The kid stopped just outside the door. “Uncle Bobby?” Bobby Jo's face brightened and fell in quick succession. It was kinda comical but Gabriel wasn't laughing.

“What's the matter, kid?”

They looked down at the angel in their arms.“I've somethin' of an idea of where Uncle Bobby lives but I don't think I can fly us both there.”

Gabriel blinked at them. “Meaning?”

Bobby Jo huffed. “Meaning I've not flown with a passenger before.”

The archangel raised an eyebrow waiting for further explanation.

The kid blushed. “Um...I'm self taught.”

“What's Cassie been doing instead of teaching you to fly?”

The kid's shoulders shifted a bit like they were settling their wings more comfortably. The movement barely shifted Gabriel. “That's the whole problem. When Metatron stole Papa's grace to kick everyone out of Heaven Papa fell to Earth with the rest of the angels. It damaged his wings with everyone else's. As far as I know I'm the only one with a whole set.”

The more the kid talked about the future the more Gabriel realized that he can't sit on the sidelines. Standing up against his big brother so the Winchesters could make an escape was one thing; and maybe try to take Lucifer down if he could.... But everything he was hearing, and he was sure it was only the tip of the iceberg...that was something else. Even if they beat Lucifer and win the Apocalypse like the kid implies.... _The shit that comes after that sounds just as bad as Luci winning the Big Fight._

Gabriel scowled. “Kid, get us were you can for now. Then in the morning we'll figure something out. You need to recharge and I actually hurt too damn much to think.”

 


	2. Let Me Explain. No, There Is Too Much. Let Me Sum Up.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby Jo sums up 6 years of events.

Gabriel woke with a grunt. “I don't think I like sleeping.” Bobby Jo snickered from somewhere to the left. The archangel brought a hand up to wipe sleep from his eyes, then let it flop back to the bed. With too much effort than it should take Gabriel pushed himself up and back so that he could sit against the headboard. It also didn't hurt nearly as much as it should have.

The archangel raised his shirt without unbuttoning it to get a look at his chest. There was a pink tender looking triangular scar a few inches below his sternum. _I should have died_ , he thought not for the first time.

“You would have died,” Bobby Jo almost echoed the archangel's thoughts, “if Lucifer had stabbed you about an inch higher.”

Gabriel let the shirt fall back down. Turning his head he saw the kid sitting at a small kitchen table eating a burger. There was a white to-go bag in front of the other seat. “Did you heal me more?” He asked as maneuvered himself to get ready to stand.

Mouth full of burger Bobby Jo nodded. Once they swallowed they replied, “Yeah. At this rate I think I can get you fully healed, well, your vessel fully healed, in a few more days.”

The archangel sat at the edge of the bed for a moment. He told himself it was to study the kid. At least he had enough juice to get a read of them. As long as he had grace in his vessel he should be able to do that much.

There was as much to look at physically as there was to 'see' internally. The kid, the nephilim, would be as much as a lady killer as their human father was. Or the female version of that. Or whatever. The kid was basically androgynous. And good looking. Dean's green eyes. Dean's freckles. Their long dark hair, tied loosely in a tail, was something between straight and wave. And longer than Gabriel ever saw Sam grow it. The pony tail went a few inches past Bobby Jo's shoulder. Which were as broad as either parent's. Much like face and voice, Bobby Jo's legs didn't look masculine or feminine to Gabriel. Regardless that they were covered in pantyhose? Tights? Leggings? Thin dark gray material. The same dark gray was repeated with Bobby Jo's flannel that blended almost seamlessly with the dark gray jacket. Combat boots completed the outfit.

On the 'inside' Bobby Jo was still a sight to behold. Their soul was that of a young adult, matching what everyone saw on the outside. But whereas their human side had made it to adulthood, Bobby Jo would be a fledgling for a long time. Either way Gabriel could not deny how wonderful it was to see a soul and grace together naturally once more. Something in himself began to ache to have his own nephilim child. The archangel pushed the longing down along with the painful memories of when he himself had been a much, much younger angel.

“Are you going to stare at me all morning, Gabriel, or are you going to come eat the food I brought you?” Bobby Jo's words snapped the archangel back to the here and now.

For an answer Gabriel began to push himself off of the bed. As soon as he had his legs under him they buckled. Before he could hit the floor though Bobby Jo was there with an arm around the archangel's waist.

Gabriel groaned. “Now I think I know how Westley felt coming back from mostly dead.” For the life of him Gabriel could not fully get his feet to take a step.

“Dad will never admit it but he loves that movie.”

The comment made the archangel feel infinitely better and put a smirk on Gabriel's lips. He probably would have laughed if he'd had the energy for it.

It wasn't until the archangel was sitting at the table that Gabriel saw there was more on the tabletop than his first glance showed. Next to the white to-go bag was a cup, straw already sticking out of the lid, and a wallet. His own wallet.

Gabriel raised a brow at Bobby Jo. Who shrugged.

“I don't have any money that would pass muster for this time period.” When Gabriel didn't say anything, just raised the brow higher, Bobby Jo went on. “Someone got the bright idea that American currency should look more like the rest of the world's and added more colors.”

The brow didn't lower. “It can't be that bad.”

From inside their jacket Bobby Jo pulled out a nondescript wallet. Gabriel was sensing a theme with these Winchesters. From out of the wallet the kid pulled out what looked like a colorful rectangular piece of paper with a long dead president on it.

“Well, then.”

Bobby Jo put the money and wallet away and swiftly resumed eating.

Gabriel turned to his own food. Picking up the cup he took a sip from the straw. Good Heaven! It was nectar! Or as close to it humans ever got. A chocolate milkshake. Not made with any of that chocolate syrup stuff most places used either that always seemed to sit on the bottom of the cup. No, this was the good stuff.

The archangel must have made a sound because Bobby Jo giggled. He ignored the sound in favor of another heavenly sip. “Oh, that's good!” Gabriel looked up to see the kid watching him. “So, kiddo, just how well _do_ you know me?”

Bobby Jo shrugged. After crumpling the wrapper and setting it aside they replied, “Hopefully well enough.” It was spoken with a smile. “Other than that you are an archangel and the pagan god Loki? I know the stories Dad and Uncle have told me.” Bobby Jo grinned and nodded to the food. “And that you have a sweet tooth. Something unique for an angel.” They rethought their words a moment. “Though Papa does like burgers almost as much as Dad does.”

“You know, you're going to have to start referring to them by their names.” Bobby Jo frowned at Gabriel's words. “A time traveler I think they can handle. But their kid from the future?” The archangel shook his head. Then he smirked. “The last time I saw Dean and Cassie I could tell they had something for each other but at least Dean is so far in the closet I'd be surprised if he hasn't found Narnia yet.”

Bobby Jo huffed a laugh. “I shouldn't be surprised. Un- Sam has told me about their...” Their brow scrunched. “What did he call it? Oh, yeah. Eye sex.” Both beings laughed. “Sam has told me,” They giggled, “And I've seen it, too, they still do this intense stare thing that is full of sexual tension. Sam has told me they did that for _years_ before I was finally conceived.”

Gabriel snorted. “Oh, that's good.”

The pair lapsed into silence as the archangel dug into his food. The omelet first. Saving the cake, a slice of double chocolate, for last. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Though the pair haven't now each other for a full day yet they both felt companionable.

…

 

Bobby Jo watched as Gabriel finished eating. To be honest with himself he was a tad worried about the archangel. Oh, the sweet tooth he had anticipated. But the obvious need for water and the fact that Gabriel _ate_ the omelet.... The nephilim really really hoped it had something to do with actual enjoyment of eating and the habit of blending in. (The money and wallet was a giveaway for the last.) Though Bobby Jo suspected the need for food and water might help the archangel recharge grace...but he was afraid.... He gave the thought a mental shake and shoved it away. It didn't bear thinking about right then.

Seemingly random Gabriel asked, “So...what are your preferred pronouns?”

Bobby Jo couldn't keep the surprise off his face. “Most people assume one way or the other. Well, um,” he was feeling caught off guard. “Male for right now.” Bobby Jo tip his head a bt in a gesture he knew was much like his Papa. “Only Pa-” This was hard. Remembering to call his family by name. “Castiel is the only one that never has to ask or be told.”

Gabriel smiled a small smile. “That's cause Cassie is your angel parent. He has a connection with you no one else ever will. Only Father himself could read you better.”

“How'd you know to even ask?”

Gabriel gave the nephilim a look and circled his face with a finger. “Hello! Archangel! Kiddo, I can read you down to your building blocks. You read androgynous all the way.”

“Oh.” Bobby Jo never considered that. “Huh.”

The archangel tossed his trash back into the to-go bag, wiped his hands on a napkin, then turned in the chair so that he had space in front of him. “Come here, Bobby Jo, and sit in front of Uncle Gabe. Let me have a look at those wings of yours.” When Bobby Jo didn't move, and just gave Gabriel a look he sighed. “Look, kid, you're still a fledgling.” When the nephilim opened his mouth to argue Gabriel kept talking. “You maybe an adult in human terms but you will be a fledgling for a looong time.” Okay, Bobby Jo could accept that, but that didn't explain why Gabriel wanted a look at his wings. The archangel rolled his eyes. “You had a hard day yesterday and as a fledgling you still need your parents to tend to your wing grooming. The grooming will make you feel better.” Bobby Jo nodded along, he knew that. “Since your parents don't know you right now and neither does Sam.... I'm basically your Uncle too.” Gabriel gestured with a hand. “Of course, if you don't trust me I can understand that.”

There was something about that last part that made him look at the archangel. Really look at the archangel.

When Bobby Jo figured it out he almost couldn't keep the shock off his face. Gabriel was asking for the closeness more for himself than for Bobby Jo's benefit. The archangel was lonely. And now he was basically given potential family. That thought almost had tears coming to the nephilim's eyes. He could have kicked himself just then. Of course Gabriel was lonely. The archangel had literally run away from home. Thousands of years ago. And then just last night his older brother had stabbed him almost in the heart.

With a small smile Bobby Jo pushed back from the table, stood, then sat with his back towards Gabriel. Then with a deep breath and a slow exhale the nephilim brought his wings out to the physical plane.

There were a few soft touches against Bobby Jo's feathers before the silence was broken.

“Why don't you tell me the headlines from the Apocalypse till whatever event had you coming so far to the past. I can only guess the next several years are/were on the level of the Titanic sinking over and over again.” There was something in Gabriel's tone when he began speaking that Bobby Jo couldn't place. But it was gone, or well hidden by the end.

“Shouldn't we wait until I can tell everyone all at once?”

“Not really. That much foreknowledge isn't good for the humans.” Gabriel began grooming the nephilim's wings. Running a hand over either wing, turning and straightening feathers as he went.

“And Castiel?”

“Your Pop's too close to the events.” That made perfect sense.

“Whada 'bout you?”

“Well, in your timeline I was dead, yeah?”

Bobby Jo nodded. “Yeah.”

“Since I wasn't there, being dead and all...or supposedly dead.... So me simply being alive and taking an active roll should do a lot towards changing things.”

Bobby Jo nearly turned around, a hand on his shoulder prevented the movement. Once he settle back down the hand left. “You _are_ going to play and active role, right?”

“Yup!” Gabriel popped the 'p'. After a minute he reminded the nephilim, “Headlines, please.”

“Um...let me think.... Apocalypse.... Well, Dean and Sam get the Horsemen's rings...the Cage gets opened...Sam said 'yes' to Lucifer but manages to get the Devil and Michael into the cage. Dad and Uncle Sam hate talking about that. Papa was the one who finally told me the story.”

“Headlines,” Uncle Gabe poked him in the back.

“I'm trying,” Bobby Jo made a face Gabriel couldn't see, then grinned. “Uncle Sam didn't stay in the Cage. There was a bit of mess after that. Then Castiel did something stupid by working with Crowley.”

“Who?

“Uh. He's...um...complicated mostly....”

“Oh?”

“Yeah...he's just a crossroads demon right now, a high level one, granted.... But after Lucifer is back in his box Crowley takes over Hell as their King. Then at some point Dean and Sam have a sort of truce with him.”

“I see. Complicated.” The was a note of amusement in Uncle Gabe's voice. “You were saying something about Cas working with this guy?”

“Yeah. They end up opening Purgatory and letting the Leviathans loose. _That_ didn't go over well with anyone.”

Gabriel guffawed. “I bet.”

“Oh! Nearly forgot! Castiel, supe'd up on the souls from Purgatory, killed Raphael.” Uncle Gabe sputtered at that but Bobby Jo kept going. “Let's see...the Word of God tablets start popping up and a kid named Kevin Tran becomes the prophet. Dick kills Uncle Bobby. They figure out how to kill Dick Roman, the head Leviathan, which sends Dad and Papa to Purgatory.” Bobby Jo took a breath then continued. “Then a ton of shit happens where everyone wants the tablets and the prophet. Gran'pa Henry shows up from the past followed by Abaddon. Dean and Sam move into the Men of Letters bunker. Uncle Sam takes on the Trials to close Hell. Dean and Sam find the angel Metatron, who tricked Papa, took Papa's grace and used it to kick all the angels out of Heaven; which caused all of them to literally fall.” He paused for another breath. “Meanwhile Sam was dying and all the docs and all the kings men couldn't do squat so Dad begged whoever was listening to help Sam. Uncle Sam got tricked into saying 'yes' to a douchebag angel.” Bobby Jo scowled. “Things got really really shitty. Crowley convinced Dad that he needed to take on the Mark of Cain to kill Abaddon with the First Blade.” The nephilim could hear Uncle Gabe growl angrily behind him, but the archangel's hands didn't stopped moving once. “Dad does kill her. Meanwhile Metatron caused a ruckus. He killed Dad and Dad was a demon for a little while, but Uncle Sam fixed that.” Bobby Jo sighed. “This is where stuff happens that made me decide to come to the past to fix it.” He grimaced at the memory when Sam and Dean accidentally revealed they didn't have an afterlife to go to. “While Uncle Sam decided to use a witch and some old book to get the Mark off of Dad...” Bobby Jo took a shuddering breath. “Dad went to talk to big D Death and asked him to kill Dad. Uncle Sam found out or something and tried to stop Dad only to find out that _Sam_ needed to die. But Dad couldn't do it. Instead Dad killed Death with his own scythe. Then back with the witch she does the spell that took the Mark off of Dad.” Bobby Jo nearly sobbed. “When Dad killed Death...the reapers got all sorts of pissed off and told Sam and Dad that when they die they're going to be taken to the Empty. No Heaven. No Hell. And certainly no coming back to life.”

The nephilim couldn't talk anymore. Not because his throat hurt. More for all the emotions that wanted to come out. Bobby Jo was fine until the last parts. Now he was trying not to sob.

 


	3. A Hug For Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby Jo gets a hug. It does Gabriel some good too.

Gabriel smoothed his hands over now glossy feathers a bright shade of sunny yellow. They were a startling contrast to what the kid was wearing. Like having the sun in your lap, but without all the burning fire, backdropped against the darkness of outer space.

The archangel leaned over, ignoring the pain that caused, to tell Bobby Jo softly, “You can put your wings away, kiddo.” Gabriel could sense the emotions coming off of the boy, and hadn't wanted to break the silence. The wings vanished with a soft sound of air displacement. Otherwise Bobby Jo didn't move.

He reached out hand but hesitated. Gabriel wasn't sure how to comfort the fledgling. Sure, he called himself Uncle Gabe. Sure, the boy allowed him to groom his wings.

Bobby Jo _had_ allowed Gabriel to groom his wings. That decided it for the archangel.

Again Gabriel ignored his pain as he leaned forward. This time to put a hand on the boy's shoulders. With a human amount of strength he gripped Bobby Jo's shoulders and pulled him up. “Up you go.” Gabriel turned the kid around, “Come here,” and enveloped the boy in his arms.

After a bit of hesitation Bobby Jo wrapped his arms around the older angel. The kid didn't make a sound but Gabriel could feel him shake in his arms.

Gabriel spoke in soothing tones, though not all his words were meant to sooth. “I'm not going to tell you that everything will be alright. I _will_ tell you that I will find a way to make sure that your dad and Uncle Sam don't go to the Empty when they die.” It was a promise to himself as well as to the fledgling. “I promise. Even if it turns out we can't change future events too much I promise that.”

Even after his shoulders stopped shaking Bobby Jo didn't pull away. Gabriel was alright with that. He missed having fledglings in his arms. Or any family around really. So he didn't care if the kid got his jacket wet with tears and maybe a bit of snot. Snot washes off anyways.

It was several minutes later when Bobby Jo did pull away with a soft, “Thanks, Uncle Gabe.”

Gabriel was almost too stunned to reply. His heart clenched in the sudden surge of emotion. “Welcome, nephew.”

When Bobby Jo finished composing himself he asked, “So what do we do now?”

“That depends entirely on how you feel.”

“How?”

“Well, how far do you think you can fly with a passenger now that you've done it once?” Another thought struck the archangel. He grimaced at it. “Or we could steal a car, I suppose. But I rather that be plan 'b'.”

Bobby Jo's face scrunched in thought. Gabriel could almost see the calculations as his eyes flicked about.

“I'm pretty well rested and all I did was heal you...I mean I knew I had to fly today so I only healed you a bit.” His voice had sped up trying to reassure Gabriel. Now they slowed again, “Not that I can heal you all the way at all. I gotta do it in stages. Well, until we get you to Papa then he should be able to heal you the rest of the way.”

“Hey, hey, kid! It's alright!” Gabriel hastened to reassure the boy. “You're doin' good. 'Kay?”

Bobby Jo nodded reluctantly.

The archangel put a hand on his shoulder. “Seriously. I mean c'mon! You saved me from actually kicking the bucket, Bobby Jo! That's a big deal.” A corner of the boy's mouth lifted. “That's the spirit!”

…

 

The pair landed on a dusty road that lead up to a tall fence sporting several signs. Some of them letting them know they found the right place...and some of them weren't very welcoming. The two exchanged a look and crossed onto Robert Singer's property.

 


	4. Meet The Parent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sleep deprived Dean answers the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't until I began writing the next chapter that I realized that Bobby is in a wheelchair during this time period.... So I've chosen to ignore that little detail. Which means no deal with Crowley. At least not for legs and to help find Death.
> 
>  
> 
> **::Bold, like so, is angel radio.::**

There was a knock on the door.

A couple of thoughts went through Dean's mind. Two reasons he didn't want to open the door. First, Dean hadn't heard a vehicle pull up. _No one_ lived close enough to Bobby to walk to his house. The second reason, Sam and Dean had _just_ arrived at Bobby's themselves. After all the driving they'd done to get _to_ Elysian Fields...then the _events_ there.... Dean really _really_ needed his four hours dammit!

Being the only one around, Sam was already upstairs asleep and Bobby was...wherever Bobby was, so Dean grabbed the shotgun by the door. With it in hand the hunter unlocked and opened the door.

Then promptly shut it again. _Nope. Not enough sleep. Just nope._

“Well, that was just rude.” Dean could clearly hear the words through the door. He was sure he was meant to.

It looked like the pixie. It sounded like the pixie. _Could an angel be possessed? What were the odds that a shifter would take the pixie's likeness? And still get here that quickly? And who's the kid??_

Then another thought hits Dean. _Where was Cas when you needed him?_ Dean was starting to get worried. Not that he'd admit it. Aloud. _Cas could take care of himself, right?_ Though he _was_ falling....

Whoever, _what_ ever, was at the door knocked again. “C'mon, Dean-o, let us in.” A pause. “I'm not actually dead. I nearly died, yes, and so you muttonheads could get out of there.” Dean winced at the reminder. But still didn't open the door. “Okay...is there anyway I can convince you?”

The hunter opened the door, leveling the shotgun at the maybe-Gabriel. “Even if you're you why should I let your ass in?” Dean nodded towards his companion. “And who's the kid?” There was something familiar about 'em but Dean couldn't put his finger on it. _This situation is kinda familiar, too._

Maybe-Gabriel rolled his eyes. “I guess you haven't gotten the message yet. I'm on your side, idiot. I'm here to help against my big bros to stop the Apocalypse. That's what you and Golly Green wanted, right?”

While that was true. It was what Sam and Dean wanted. The question remained, was this really Gabriel? Or something trying to trick their way into the Winchesters' inner circle?

When Dean still didn't lower the shotgun maybe-Gabriel asked, “Would you feel better if you doused me in holy water, cut me with a silver blade, or better yet, trap me in a ring of holy oil fire?” His tone clearly implied that he despised that last idea, but would go through with it if he had to. As his next words confirmed. “'Cause if that's what it takes I'll do it.”

The kid next to him grew wide eyes at those words.

_The idea did have its merits,_ Dean thought.

The thought must have showed on the hunter's face because the kid's wide eyes morphed into a look of horror. “You're actually considering it?!”

Gabriel put a hand on their shoulder. “It's alright.”

“No, it's not!”

Dean frowned. He knew angels didn't like being trapped in it, but was it really that bad? Other than the whole being trapped part, that is. No one in their right mind _likes_ being trapped.

“Who are you anyways, kid? Are you an angel, too? Did you also deflect?”

The kid flinched at the first question, but was clearly confused by the last one.

“Um...uh...”

“C'mon, kid, it isn't a hard question.” _Or at least it shouldn't be._

There was amusement in Gabriel's eyes. It was never good when that one was amused.

The kid's green eyes darted to Gabriel. Who gave a barely perceived nod. The kid squared their shoulders and stood a tiny bit straighter. That, too, seem familiar to Dean. “You can call me B.J. I'm a relative on the Winchester side.”

_This situation is too damn familiar. Damn, I need some sleep._ The hunter didn't so much as twitch a facial muscle. Slowly with one hand, Dean reached into his jacket and withdrew a flask containing holy water. First the kid, then the angel took a sip. Once it was capped and handed back Dean tucked it away before uncliping his sliver knife. Again, first the kid then the angel made a small cut on their forearms. Both cuts healed fast. Too fast, Dean thought, where the kid was concerned. He'd worry about that later though.

The whole time Dean didn't say a single word. Now he set the gun where it belonged and let the pair in.

As Dean was trying to figure out what to do with an archangel and the new relative so he could catch some z's Bobby came into the house from the back door. Before Bobby came around the corner Dean called out a warning. “Hey, Bobby we've got company!”

Without missing a beat or a step Bobby called back, “Friendlies?”

When Bobby did come around the corner a few steps later Dean replied gesturing to one then the other, “If you consider Archangel turned Trickster who's willing to fight his dick brothers a friendly...” Gabriel's face went through several emotions before settling on a smirk. “And a new family member. Kid says their a Winchester. B.J. Winchester.”

Bobby grunted at the information as he looked his new guests up and down. B.J. shifted under the stare.

“Bobby, I'm gonna get some sleep,” Dean gestured towards the upper floor. What went unsaid but understood was, 'Can you keep an eye on 'em so I can get some rest?'

Bobby nodded, “Yeah, okay.”

…

 

Bobby Jo watched his dad walk away. _He's so young!_ The man he knew was so much harder than this Dean. Of course, by the time that he became Bobby Jo's father Dean had had gone trough several events that could rival Dean's time in Hell. Any one of which could change a man.

“You fellas want a bite to eat? I was about to fix myself some lunch. That is, of course, if you eat or are hungry?”

“Yes, please,” Bobby Jo replied politely and maybe a little eagerly. They hadn't found Bobby's place on the first try. And it turned out that flying with a passenger was hard work. His human side desired fuel though his angelic side wasn't weary at all.

Bobby Singer grinned. It was an amused and fond gesture simultaneously. “Teenagers. You're all the same.” The old hunter walked into the kitchen. “Well, don't just stand there. C'mon!”

When Bobby gestured to the kitchen table Bobby Jo and Gabriel took the invitation to have a seat.

The few minutes it took the hunter to fix up three sandwiches and set a soda and two beers on the table were spent in silence. Bobby Jo wasn't sure what to say anyway. It wasn't like he'd had a lot of practice going back in time or talking to the person who he was named after. The same person who was dead by the time he was born.

Gabriel had a smirk still, but Bobby Jo was beginning to wonder if that was a mask he wore. Up till now Bobby Jo had been able to read the angel pretty well. Now the nephilim was wondering he'd been given the privilege to see behind the walls only because he'd saved the archangel's life. If Bobby Jo looked hard enough he could see the tiredness and pain in the angel's eyes.

Amber eyes flicked to where the hunter had his back turned before they rested on Bobby Jo. **::I'm okay, kiddo. My battery is recharging and it's begun working on the hole in my chest.::**

Bobby Jo couldn't keep his eyes from widening. Gabriel hadn't spoken aloud.

Gabriel smiled with real amusement. **::Don't freak out so much. Though I guess this is another thing Castiel hasn't taught you?::**

Bobby Jo gave a small shake of his head.

Which was a good thing. Bobby turned around to set lunch on the table. “Here ya go, boys.” The hunter sat down across from them and took a bite out of his own sandwich.

The nephilim could feel the old hunter's eyes on him as he ate. It made him want to squirm under the scrutiny. He resisted. Bobby Jo knew it would just make him look like a guilty little kid. It was always what gave him away when he _had_ done something to be guilty about when he was a child. As he grew older he quickly figured it out. But his parents always knew anyway.

Suddenly Bobby spoke up. “So yer a Winchester, huh? A hunter too?”

Bobby Jo swallowed his bite and rinsed it down with a sip of soda before answering. “Yes to the first. And in a manner of speaking to the second.”

The hunter raised an eyebrow.

“Well, my dad wasn't very keen about it at first. Not that he wanted to protect me from what's out there. I mean, of course he did. He wanted me to have the knowledge and agreed that I should be able to protect myself. He eventually came around to letting me help on cases.” He shrugged. “Though I'm still mostly regulated to research.”

Bobby Singer nodded his understanding. “Sounds like Sam, Dean's younger brother. All Sam wanted to do was help, but got regulated to research for the most part.” He chuckled. “The boy still does most of the research out of the two of 'em.”

 


	5. Bobby Singer Isn't An Idjit

Bobby Singer wasn't an idjit.

He knew of the two sitting in front of him it was the kid he'd have to keep an eye on. At least until the hunter could figure them out.

Whereas the Trickster/Archangel was the most powerful being Bobby ever came across he was a known quantity. Even though he had 'meet' the being once before the boys had filled him in on their other encounters.

The kid, B.J., was a complete unknown. There was something about 'em that was bugging the shit out of Bobby.

And like any good hunter knew, the best way to find something out was to ask questions. Bobby Singer was a damn good hunter.

“What are your pronouns, kid?”

“What?” The kid asked around their full mouth. Surprise was written all over their face.

He'd caught them off guard with a mouth full of sandwich. Off guard was always good. Preferable even.

“Your pronouns. I can tell you're genderfluid.” From the surprised look from the kid and the amused one from the angel Bobby wasn't expected to know anything about gender identity. The hunter rolled his eyes. “Give me a break. I might have been, born at night but I wasn't born last night, and I certainly don't bury my head in the sand.”

The youngster finished chewing and swallowed before answering. “Oh...um...male pronouns right now.”

“Yer not used to people not making assumptions.”

He shook his head. “No, not really.”

“Any more Winchesters where you come from?”

B.J. made side eyes at the angel. “No, but I'm hoping that maybe one day their will be.”

Well, wasn't that interesting. Gabriel gave the young man an odd look. To which B.J. grinned.

_And shit if that ain't something I don't recognize. That grin is just too familiar._

“Who's your other parent?”

The question came so far from left field that the only reaction the kid gave was to tilt his head and give Bobby a look of utter confusion.

“Balls,” Bobby breathed. That was a gesture the old hunter was familiar with too. Granted it was a more recent familiarity, but no one else Bobby knew tilted their head just so.

“I think the cat's out of the bag, kiddo,” Gabriel smirked. “At least with your namesake.”

It was Bobby's turn to give the angel a look. Which he turned on B.J. “What does 'B.J.' stand for?”

B.J. sighed. The hunter didn't think it was at the question but for the situation he'd found himself in. “It stands for Bobby Jo.”

Bobby flushed. Having decided a long time ago to never have any biological children of his own he gave up many hopes and dreams that went with them. Then came along the Winchester boys. And damn if he didn't unofficial adopt Sam and Dean. But the two always said that their life wasn't a place for a family or a child.

Now? Now he had a teenage unofficial grandchild sitting at his kitchen table eating his food. The old hunter was getting chocked up on emotion.

A few more pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. Bobby Singer was no idjit.

“You're a nephilim. And too damn old to have been conceived in the short time Dean has known Castiel.”

 


	6. The Untitled Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby is alright with the time-traveling namesake, but eager to start the war council. Sam meets the new Winchester and finds out that Gabe didn't die after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting another chapter today for two reasons: to make myself feel better after the ending I read to someone else's fic.... And you guys actually seem to like this fic.

“You're a nephilim. And too damn old to have been conceived in the short time Dean has known Castiel.” The words rang clear in the quiet kitchen.

Well, shit. Gabriel had underestimated the old hunter. He wasn't surprised by any means. Simply had underestimated Bobby Singer.

The archangel finished off his beer, set the glass bottle on the table, and leaned forward towards the human. “That's all anyone in this house needs to know. Those out there,” Gabriel waved a hand towards the front door, “don't need to know those two details.” His eyes cut towards the fledgling. He placed a hand on Bobby Jo's shoulder. “Relax. Your kin are smarter than they look.” That earned a look from the old hunter; which was blithely ignored. “I fully expected them to figure it out at some point.”

The tension in the nephilim's shoulders eased as Gabriel spoke. “Much better. Now finish your food. As they say, it does the body good.”

After everyone was finished the trio moved to the study. Well, it wasn't so much as a study as where Bobby did his research. Nearly every surface was stacked with books. Mostly old books. Of every conceivable topic, and a few different languages, that a hunter might need to know. And a few that looked like they were for pleasure reading were wedged in here and there. It wasn't just books that was everywhere. There was paper, too. Stacks of loose paper, paper in folders, paper taped, stapled, and otherwise fixed to the walls.

Gabriel and Bobby Jo settled down on the couch as the old hunter took a seat at his desk.

Even before Bobby Singer opened his mouth the archangel knew he wasn't done making leaps of logic. “So I take it you boys are here to help with the Apocalypse?”

“Yup!” Gabriel popped the 'p' with a grin. Then grin didn't stick around. “Gonna help my big bro back in his box. And maybe convince Mikey that it's better that way.”

Bobby huffed a short laugh. “From what I hear getting Satan locked back up just might be the easier of the two.”

The archangel shrugged one shoulder. “Eh. Probably.”

“So how _do_ we put Satan back in his box?”

Bobby Jo leaned forward, eager to hear the answer. The boy knew how it _originally_ happened, but the whole point of him coming to the past was to change it.

“Great question! First we start by gathering the keys. Or rather the four parts of it. The Horsemen's rings.”

“Balls.”

Gabriel nodded at the sentiment. “As for planning how to go about that we'll need to wait till the sleeping beauties upstairs wake. This will take all of us.”

…

 

To kill some time and give them better protection Gabriel left the room to put warding on the house and around the property.

That left the two Bobbys alone.

Neither the younger or the older were sure what to do or say. At first they mostly sat in silence. The older Bobby flipping pages in a tome on his desk; while the younger Bobby stared at everything.

Bobby Jo had only heard about Bobby Singer and his salvage yard. Cars everywhere outside and the stacks of books everywhere inside. _And the man himself! Just like Dad, Uncle Sam, and Papa had described._ Just as gruff and surly seeming. But Bobby Jo could also see the softer parts that his Dad and Uncle Sam had joked about as they told and retold him stories about the old hunter that was their surrogate father.

“Bobby Jo,” the old hunter said the name like he was testing the sound of it.

The teenager looked over to see Bobby nod to himself. As if he liked that some kid from the future he may or may not ever see born shared his name.

“Yeah?”

“You're actually from the future?” Bobby didn't seem to doubt it. More like he needed to actually ask the question.

Bobby Jo nodded. “Yeah. I am.”

“I'd want proof, but just looking at you is enough.” He scowled then. “I might have figured it out pretty easy, but I don't think either of 'em boys will nearly as easily. Those two can be thick where family is concerned.”

The teenager grinned and nodded. “Don't I know it. Even if I haven't heard all the stories I've seen that for myself.”

“So you know all everything that's gonna happen from tomorrow on?”

This time Bobby Jo shook his head. “Not exactly.” He leaned forward, elbows on knees. “You see, I know the major points, and some of the smaller details, but not what happens tomorrow. And some of it I don't even have exact dates for. Dad wrote a lot of it down in his journal, but I didn't exactly bring it with me.”

Bobby looked like he was going to say something to that. He didn't get to though when Sam walked down the hall and into the kitchen.

“Hey, Bobby, ya got anything to eat? I'm starving. Dean refused to-” The tall man cut himself off when he looked up from the open fridge to see that Bobby wasn't alone. Sam froze at first, but quickly recovered. He stood up to his full height, shut the fridge, and strode into the study. The hunter's whole body looked like he was ready to draw a weapon at any moment if he needed to. The look in Sam's eyes said he wasn't sure he didn't need to. Even if the stranger sitting on the couch was a teenager. Bobby Jo could see it in his Uncle's eyes, Sam recognized a youth trained in the life of a hunter when he saw one.

Bobby Singer took it upon himself to make introductions. “Sam, meet B.J. Winchester.”

…

 

Sam was aware that he was staring. The teen boy? Girl? Whichever...Sam didn't want to guess.... Did look like family. But...

“Dad, John,” for the stranger's benefit, “He never mentioned any relatives. Never even mentioned his own parents. Except that his dad ran off when he was a kid....” As the words passed his mouth Sam realized as much as the Winchesters _seemed_ to be about family they didn't do it very well. Not even Dean and himself. Not all the time. Though that could be cause they were brothers and all.... And always stuck together in the car...

And Sam realized his mind was wondering off without him.

The teen, B.J., shrugged. “I've been told that John isn't exactly one for staying in touch.”

“Wasn't,” Sam corrected.

“Huh?”

“Dad died a little while back.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

To change the topic Sam asked, “So. You're a hunter?”

B.J. nodded. “I get stuck with the research mostly. But when I heard about what was going on, the Apocalypse and all, and how it was centered around a pair of Winchester brothers.... Well, I wanted to help.”

Sam smiled. Sounded like a Winchester sure enough. “Bet your parents weren't to happy about that.”

The teen's shoulders slumped as they slouched back into the couch. “No. I don't suppose they are. I knew they wouldn't be so I left without saying anything.”

Bobby scowled which caused B.J. to slouch down more.

It was interesting to see Bobby have the same effect on this young Winchester as it had had on Dean and Sam when they were young. _If I'm being honest with myself Bobby still has that effect on us._

Right around then Dean came stomping down the stairs. He walked over to stand beside Sam. When he saw the teen on the couch he grunted. “You guys are still here. Though I don't see the pixie.”

Bobby spoke up, “He's out putting wards on the property.”

Dean grunted at the new information. Then asked, “Hey, Bobby? You got any food? Cause I'm starvin'.”

Sam had forgotten about food. He stood blinking instead of paying attention. Something his brother said hadn't quite made sense. “Pixie?”

His brother was already turning towards the kitchen. “Yeah. Short blonde guy with wings? Kind of annoying? Turns out he didn't die.”

Sam couldn't do more than stare at his brother. _Short_ _blonde guy with wings. Kind of annoying._ The words echoed in his head.

Meanwhile Dean was pulling sandwich fixings out and setting them on the counter. “Do you want some?”

Sam nodded absently.

“You okay, dude?”

“Yeah...?”

“Then why are you still standing there?”

He shook his head trying to clear it. That's when he realized his brother was sitting at the table. Two sandwiches and two beers waited there. Sam sat slowly. Facing his brother, “Gabriel's alive?”

Dean laughed. “Dude, took ya long enough to react to that.”

 


	7. How To Find A Horseman

Walking around putting up wards all over Bobby Singer's Salvage Yard took way more effort than it should have taken. More than Gabriel had to give. But it had to be done. The old hunter had some good wards, but none against angels. And that was Gabriel's biggest concern.

So it was an exhausted archangel that collapsed on the couch in Bobby's study. Too focused on making it that far he missed the shocked expressions on three faces and the one of concern on the fourth face.

“I knew I should have gone with you to put wards up!” The concern the angel couldn't see was in Bobby Jo's voice.

Gabriel tried to wave the words away, or he would have if he could lift his hand up. “The property was bigger than I thought.” What he didn't want to admit was that as fast as his grace was recharging it really wasn't fast enough for his liking. He was still feeling entirely too human. At least he didn't hurt, much, anymore. The archangel rubbed at the hidden scar below his sternum with one hand.

Feeling four pairs of eyes staring at him Gabriel lifted his head and glared. “Are we gonna get this war council started or am I too entertaining for you?”

Bobby took the cue and spoke up. “We were just talking about getting the rings of Pestilence and Death.” When the archangel raised a brow the hunter explained, “Turns out the boys already have War's and Famine's.”

Gabriel was suitably impressed.

With everyone looking at the archangel only Gabriel could see the proud look on Bobby Jo. The kid had good reason to be proud of his family.

Dean misread the look on the angel's face. “You don't have to look so surprised. We _are_ pretty damn good hunters,” he snarled.

“Oh, I'm not surprised. I'm impressed.” The words actually made both brothers frown. He rolled his eyes. “It's a compliment,” Gabriel enunciated slowly. “I'm impressed not because I ever thought you two were lousy hunters, but because any of the Horsemen are a bitch to take down. They were built that way.”

“That's an accurate description,” Sam told the room at large, still frowning. Though now it looked like he was frowning at a memory instead.

“How did you come across those two assholes anyways?”

Bobby snorted. “I had gotten a call from another hunter. He'd been tracking omens. Found himself under attack by demons. I sent the boys to act as back-up.”

Dean took over the story. “Turned out War was playing, well, war. All the towns folk were his little soldier dolls. Everyone thought everyone else was a demon.”

Sam was nodding. “A couple of our friends thought I was a demon.” The tall hunter frowned. “At least they only tried to exorcise me instead of trying to kill me.”

Gabriel and Bobby Jo burst out laughing. Sam frowned harder. “It really wasn't all that funny.”

One corner of Dean's mouth turned up. “It kinda is.”

Once the archangel had his amusement under control he asked, “And Famine? How'd you find him?”

Both Dean and Sam grimaced. The brothers shared a look. It was Sam who said, “We stumbled onto him. We went to investigate a case.”

“Yeah. We thought we were investigating a couple eating each other to death. At first we thought it was Cupid. Sam and Cas had found an Enochian mark on the couple's hearts. But people kept dying in weirder and weirder ways. Then Cas started munching on burgers....” Dean waved a hand. “That part is neither here or there. All that matters is that we found Famine in the end and took the ring off his bony finger.”

Gabriel considered what he'd been told. “That's how we find Sneezy. We look for signs of illness outbreaks. Omens, too. Demons will be working for him like black-eyed minions.”

“What about Death?” Bobby spoke up.

“The Pale Rider?” The archangel shook his head. “No need to worry about him. I'll talk to him when the time comes.”

There was something in Gabriel's voice that no one argued.

 


	8. Family Dinner (Minus One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner time rolls around and the group heads for the diner in Sioux Falls. Bobby Jo misses Papa, but can't let on that it's Castiel. Dean gets teased. Meanwhile Bobby Jo's growing pains make themselves known.
> 
> **See Chapter Notes for Warnings/Triggers.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bobby Jo has a panic attack in this chapter. Just the once. It's pretty early in the chapter and doesn't last long.

Someone mentioned food and that started a whole new discussion on what to do about dinner. At first Bobby said he'd make something. One look at his cupboards ended that idea.

Dean thought Gabriel should, “...just wave a hand and make food appear on the table.”

He got a glare from Gabriel and B.J. The first he could understand. But from the kid? Made no sense.

The archangel was already shaking his head before the sentence had fully left Dean's mouth. “No can do, bucko. Was mostly dead just last night, remember? Ticker's ticking, but not enough juice to snap up a candy bar; let alone a spread big enough to feed yourself, gigantor, the old man, and the growing weed.” At the last he nodded towards the teen.

Who was still glaring at Dean. As if the kid was pissed for Dean making the suggestion in the first place.

Gabriel glanced at B.J. And just like that the angry eyes went away. _Huh. Odd._

Sam put in his two cents. “Why don't we get in the car and go to town then?”

A couple things washed over the kid's face at that. Remembrance then panic.

…

 

In his panic Bobby Jo almost spoke aloud. But Dean and Sam didn't know he was from the future yet.

**::UncleGabe! There'samagiccoinintheImpala!::** The thought was sent out in such a rush the words were all smashed together.

He didn't even realize he was panicking until his was being forced to sit and his head pushed towards his knees.

“ **::Breathe, kiddo.::** ” The words were spoken aloud and along 'angel radio'; somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was angel radio _and_ that it was a direct line. Why he had the realization during a panic attack? No idea.

“C'mon, B.J., breathe.” **::I'll take care of the coin, but I need you to breathe.::** The words were a comfort but.... “Inhale with me.” Uncle Gabe inhaled deeply. Bobby Jo tried, but he couldn't get any air. His chest was beginning to hurt.

Then suddenly there was a hand on his neck. One he would recognize. Any time, anywhere.

It was warm, large, and Dad's. His Dad was there and everything would be alright. “You got this,” Deans low voice was there in Bobby Jo's ear. That alone was almost soothing. “In,” Dean breathed in exaggeratedly. The firm, not quite commanding tone helped the teen to focus along with the grounding hand. Bobby Jo breathed in. “Out.” Bobby Jo breathed out. In and out twice more before he could fully regulate his breathing.

The teen looked up into green eyes that he knew were the forebears of his own. “Thanks, Da-Dean.” _Oh, Chuck! I almost screwed up!_ With effort he kept the mistake off of his face and hoped Dean didn't hear the slip.

Dean smiled, “You're welcome, squirt.” Bobby Jo's heart soared at the childhood nickname. It soared higher when Dean tried to ruffle his hair, only to find out it was bound. Just like every time the teen's dad did/will do. The hunter scowled then laughed. “Dude, you're hair is longer than Sammy's. Just gimme a few minutes with the clippers....”

It was so much like the Dean Bobby Jo was used to that he grinned and almost slipped again. This time he caught himself before he spoke, but it took some of the happiness out of the banter. “Maybe if I could trust you to _only_ to trim it, Dean.”

From out of sight Sam laughed. “Watch out, Dean. B.J.'s got your number.”

Dean smiled, patted Bobby Jo on the head, and said, “Let's get out of here and get some grub.” The hunter looked around, “Since not all of us can fit in the Impala-”

“Probably could,” Sam interrupted.

His older brother continued talking as if the younger hunter hadn't said a word. “-that means we need to take two cars. Unless, of course, Tinker Bell has enough pixie dust to get himself there on his own.”

Uncle Gabe smirked at the comment, but replied, “Nope.”

Dean nodded like he expected as much. “Alright. You can ride with Bobby. B.J., you ride with us.”

…

 

The drive to the diner in Sioux Falls was relatively short and silent. Well, as silent as a car can get when the driver puts a cassette tape in the player. Metallica began playing and Bobby Jo shifted comfortably into the backseat.

Then he remembered. **::Uncle Gabe, did you get the coin?::**

**::Haven't had a chance. Watch what you say though until I can get it and destroy it. Do you have an idea where it might be?::**

Bobby Jo almost shook his head. **::Not at all.::**

**::Don't worry, kiddo, I'll find it.::**

Minutes later the Impala and Bobby's Chevelle pulled into parking spaces outside of the diner.

Gabriel got out of Bobby's car with a grimace. “I hate riding in cars.”

“No one made you get in,” was Bobby's gruff reply. The archangel scowled but said nothing.

Inside the group took seats at a 'U' shaped booth tucked in a corner. Bobby Jo and Gabriel sat inside while the hunters sat closer to the rest of the diner.

A waitress came by with silverware rolled in white napkins and menus. “What can I get y'all to drink?” she asked while passing the items out.

Gabriel, predictably, ordered a milkshake. The hunters asked for coffee. Bobby Jo asked for root beer.

Drink orders taken, the waitress left.

The nephilim looked at the men sitting in the booth with him and realized he'd never had so much family around him. The thought put a smile on his face. So far coming to the past wasn't so bad. Then a thought struck him like lightning and the smile was gone and Bobby Jo's shoulders dropped. _The only one missing is Papa._ Just like that he missed his angelic parent. _I don't even know where he is at this point in the timeline. I'm pretty sure Papa reunites with Dad and Uncle Sam soon, but...._

**::Missing Castiel, ain'tcha?::**

Bobby Jo shifted his shoulders. **::Yeah. I realized that I've never had so much family in one spot before.** _ **Then**_ **realized that Papa isn't here.** _ **And**_ **that I don't know where he is right now.::**

The waitress came back with their drinks before Gabriel could reply.

Once drinks were supplied and food orders taken she left again.

**::I wish I could reassure you, Bobby Jo, but I can't even sense him.::**

The nephilim gave a mental sigh. **::If I remember correctly...Papa was falling around this time. So he probably doesn't have enough grace for you to sense unless he was in the same room.::** The thought made him feel worse.

“You alright there, squirt?”

“He's prob'ly missin' someone back home,” Booby guessed hitting pretty close to the mark. Bobby Jo nodded mutely.

“Home sick already?”

Sam elbowed his older brother. “Don't be such a jerk, Dean.”

“Eh, ignore Dean.” Gabriel winked. “He's just missing Cassie.”

“What?! No.”

Sam laughed and there was a twinkle in Bobby's eyes. “Sure, son,” the old hunter teased ever so lightly.

The banter at Dean's expense made Bobby Jo feel just a tad better.

“You realize that there is so much sexual tension when you two stare at each other that it's like eye sex or something,” Sam out right teased.

“What?! No we don't.” Dean glowered.

Gabriel grinned. “The lady doth protsesteth too much.” To which Dean made a face.

_That_ made Bobby Jo laugh. Feeling better about the situation he settled back against the seat to watch the bantering. Or he tried to get comfortable. Even though his wings weren't on the physical plane they were being twitchy; meaning he could feel it even if no one else could see his wings.

“You okay, B.J.?” Sam asked when the teen shifted in his seat yet again.

“Yeah...just....” The twitching was getting worse.

Dean made a face. “Dude, if ya gotta piss just say something we'll let ya out.”

Bobby Jo blushed. “It's not that!” He couldn't exactly say, 'Yeah, no, my wings are being twitchy bastards because I'm a child half-angel and they do that from time to time 'cause growing pains or some shit.' Because _that_ would go over well in the middle of a diner. Or with two men who don't know you yet 'cause your from the future and your parents aren't together yet. Bobby Jo frowned and twitched his shoulders again.

Sam and Dean were watching him with frowns of their own. Bobby looked on with concern. And Uncle Gabe gave him a sympathetic look.

Without asking the nephilim already knew that Gabriel couldn't help him. Not in the middle of the diner. Not even in the privacy of the restroom. Even if they were both female it would be strange for the archangel to follow Bobby Jo to the bathroom.

Dammit if he suddenly had to actually pee.

“Ya know what? I do have to take a leak.”

Sam and then Dean got up from the booth to let Bobby Jo out.

When he stood before the men's and women's bathroom Bobby Jo paused, sighed, and went into the women's bathroom. The teen made a face then sighed. _I'm going to need to make a supply run soon. Even if I'm not here long enough to need certain things I'm going to need other stuff._

 

The food was on the table when Bobby Jo came back.

When he was settled back between Dean and Gabriel Sam brought up the teen's problem.

“Um...B.J, I've been thinking...you've left home with just the clothes on your back? Didn't bring any supplies? Kinda odd of hunter. Or even a child of a hunter. Not having supplies I mean.”

Bobby Jo blushed, burger halfway to his mouth. Before he could decide what to say Bobby Singer spoke up.

“We can talk about that when we get home.” The tone of his voice let everyone at the table that the topic _would_ wait. Neither Sam or Dean argued. Gabriel and Bobby Jo certainly weren't going to. The longer that particular discussion was put off the better.

The rest of dinner went quietly.

Until the waitress came back and asked about dessert.

Dean and Bobby Jo replied at the same time. “Pie!”

Bobby Singer smiled and Gabriel practically roared with laughter. Sam looked confusedly between his brother and the teen beside him.

Dean grinned and shrugged.

 


	9. The Time Traveling Baby Half-Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm finally on schedule for my Camp NaNoWriMo word count so I decided to post another chapter today! :D

Sam was becoming more concerned about the teen boy the longer he got to know him. And he wasn't sure how he felt about that at all. Part of it was almost like finding out about Adam all over again. But B.J. wasn't a brother Sam was unaware of. It didn't help that there was more of a resemblance to Dean than to John. Or Mary even.

Maybe it was the green eyes. No one else in their family had green eyes like Dean's. Sam wasn't an idiot. B.J.'s eyes were just like Dean's.

That plus the way the boy was now squirming like a kid that got caught in a lie and hoping the punishment wouldn't be too bad.

The five of them, Dean, Sam, Bobby, B.J., and Gabriel were sitting around Bobby's kitchen table. It was the only place that had enough seating for all of them.

B.J. was squirming in his seat and shifting his shoulders, again, and looking generally uncomfortable.

 _Gabriel_ , and _wow, Gabriel was alive!_ Was looking at the teen with sympathy and concern. What was the connection there? 'Cause there _had_ to be something. Hear Dean tell it they showed up on Bobby's doorstep together. With no mode of transport in sight. And if Gabriel was too drained to snap up a candy bar then did that mean he hadn't flown them there?

Stuff was not adding up!

“This is you're show, boy,” Bobby grumbled. “You going to get it going or stare at him all night?”

Sam flushed at that. He _had_ been staring again. The hunter sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I'm not sure what I want to ask anymore. I just know that some things are not adding up and it's bugging me way too much. Like, if Gabriel,” he gestured to the archangel, “doesn't have the energy to snap up candy, _how_ did you two get here? And why arrive together? Gabriel himself said he'd nearly died, but no one's said how he _didn't_ die. And B.J.,” this time Sam gestured to the teen, “says he's a hunter, but has absolutely no supplies.” Sam took a deep breath. “That's all for starters.”

Gabriel looked at B.J. and said with a smirk, “I told you they're smarter than than they look.” Dean looked like he wanted to say something to that, but Bobby gave him a look that ended it before it began. Meanwhile Gabriel told B.J., “Go on. It is your story.”

 _That_ had Sam and Dean's brows rising. Oddly, though, Bobby didn't look surprised.

The boy sighed, looked at Dean then Sam, squirmed, then sighed again. “I time-traveled from the future. From 2035 to be exact.” B.J. glanced at the archangel then turned back to the brothers. “I came to the past to save Gabriel and to try to prevent certain events from happening.”

“Yeah, okay. I'll buy the time travel. But you can't change the past. Dean tried that when Castiel, an angel, sent him to stop the yellow-eyed demon from making a deal with our mom. Nothing changed.”

“I dunno, Sammy. If I hadn't talked dad into buying the Impala I might be driving the Mystery Machine instead.” Sam furrowed his brows at his brother. Dean nodded. “Not the actual one, but the same make and model.” Now he shook his head. “Life without Baby...I don't even want to think about it.”

“What about Gabriel?” Sam argued. “An archangel isn't exactly on par with a car. Maybe he faked his death; like he did when he ran from Heaven.”

“Sam's got a point,” Bobby pointed out.

B.J. nodded. “That's what my Papa thought too, at least for awhile. Later two different sources confirmed that Gabriel was dead.” The teen grinned. “But this time _I_ faked his death.” The kid was proud of that fact. So was Gabriel by the look in his eyes.

“ _You_ did?” Dean asked incredulously.

Sam was flicking his eyes back and forth between the boy and the archangel. “You two aren't related, are you?”

Gabriel had a shit eating grin on his face. Surprisingly, or maybe not so much, it was B.J. who answered. “Not exactly.”

“Then who is he to you to come to the past to save him?”

“Well, I'm hoping one day he'll become my uncle. Not just my Papa's brother that died a long time before I was born.”

The archangel gave the teen a look that was more than simply a look. It didn't help when the kid gave Gabriel a similar look.

It was Dean who figured it out. “Are you two talking to each other so we can't hear?” Sam couldn't figure out if his brother was upset by that or not. _Probably thought it was cool,_ he thought sardonically.

B.J. had grace enough to blush. Gabriel shrugged like it was no big deal.

“Gonna share with the class?” Dean prodded.

Gabriel flicked his eyes to Sam and away. “Nope,” he popped the 'p'.

Sam rolled his eyes. Of course not. “Where were we?”

“B.J. faked Gabriel's death,” Bobby supplied helpfully. To which B.J. didn't look like he liked being reminded about.

“How'd you do that anyhow?” Dean asked.

The boy sighed heavily. “I'm a nephilim.”

“Meaning?”

“He's half-human and half-angel, idjit.”

“Thanks, Bobby,” Dean scowled.

“Any time,” Bobby replied ignoring the scowl and the tone.

Sam's eyebrows had risen. “So, you have the powers of an angel.” The hunter almost couldn't believe it. Except, as a hunter, he'd seen some really, _really_ odd and strange things.

B.J. nodded, thought better of it, then shrugged, and made a face. “Eh. Mostly. I'm still young for an angel as I keep being reminded,” he wrinkled his nose at Gabriel.

“You are.”

The teen pouted at that, but went on. “I'm still getting my abilities. They've been showing up randomly mostly.” He shrugged again, but this time the gesture was more like what B.J. had been doing in the diner. And in the car on the way back. And periodically during the discussion.

“Why do you do that?” Sam asked.

“Do what?”

“Shrug your shoulders like you're restless.”

“That's pretty accurate. My wings keep twitching.” B.J. frowned. “Papa told me it's basically growing pains. ...and that it'll happen for awhile.”

“Along while, kiddo,” Gabriel reminded him.

“Yeah, really didn't need that reminder. Who's gonna forget that while I'm practically an adult on the human end, I'm going to be a _child_ for a long time!” It was a topic that clearly frustrated the boy.

“Fledgling, actually,” the archangel corrected.

B.J. blinked, and folded his arms over his chest. Like a sulking child.

“Fledgling?” Dean turned the word into a question.

Gabriel shrugged. “It's the closest English equivalent.”

“He means a baby angel,” B.J. grumped shifting his shoulders.

Dean gestured. “Do you...like need to...um...do something about your wings?”

“Yeah,” the boy shrugged an actual shrug. “But you still have questions.”

“They can wait,” Sam quickly reassured. B.J. was looking increasingly uncomfortable by the moment.

“Go ahead, boy,” was Bobby's input when the teen still hesitated. “We'll wait till ya come back.”

“Alright.” B.J. stood and Gabriel made to follow.

Dean seemed to not like that. “Where do you think you're going, pixie!”

Gabriel turned back with a sneer. “Do you really think he can take care of his wings himself?” The hunter actually looked chastised. The archangel's faced softened a bit. “Besides, I'm the closest he has to family right now.”

At 'family' Sam watched as B.J.'s eyes flicked to Dean, then Sam, then to Gabriel, and then back to Dean. There was something Sam couldn't quite name in the boy's gaze. It reminded Sam of when Dean had gone to Hell and hadn't known that his brother would be back in four months. What was in the teen's eyes was maybe a tenth what Sam had felt at the loss of his brother; but a tenth of that would still be bad enough. All the loss and longing for familial bonds. This though was the same and different and it made Sam's heart ache for the boy.

 


	10. What...?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean tries to figure out what he was thinking and feeling. Gabriel helps with Bobby Jo's growing pains. Bobby Jo finds Papa.

Dean's mind was racing. He wasn't sure what to think. If he was thinking too hard or overthinking things. Sam would likely tease him that he wasn't thinking enough. But they both knew Dean was smarter than he liked to pretend to not be.

The hunter had watched the boy walk away with the archangel and it had made Dean feel...well, if it had been a woman, and a handful of years older, he might have said jealousy. He was beginning to feel...something towards the boy...protective maybe? Whatever it was it sure as Hell wasn't sexual. Nah, Dean saved those confusing feelings for Cas and Cas alone. Something he rarely admitted to himself.

There was the way B.J. had looked at Dean when Gabriel had mentioned family. Like how someone misses a relative. He'd seen that look on more than one victim's relatives' faces. But this had been without the mourning. More like wishing they were there.

Then Dean remembered that the teen had proclaimed to be a Winchester. _And what the fuck does that mean if the kid is half-angel? Who are his parents?!_

He didn't realize he was standing until Bobby snapped, “Sit down, boy! No need to go charging in there!” Dean opened his mouth to say he wasn't sure what, but Bobby gave him such a look that he was sitting down again before the next words were fully spoken. “Whatever you have to say can wait.”

Sam gave him an inquiring look, but Dean shook his head. There was no way he could put his thoughts into words. Not until he could ask the one who had all the answers. A teen from the future, bearing the Winchester name, and half-angel to boot.

No. No way could he believe it. The only angel Dean and Sam were even decently friendly with was Castiel. Who was a dude! The last Dean checked two dudes couldn't have a kid. Even an half-angel one. _Just no._

…

 

Bobby Jo was nervous. Oh, sure, he trusted Gabriel. It was one thing to bare his chest to his angelic parent who was the true meaning of gender-less, like all angels. It was another to do so with another angel he barely knew. Yeah, Bobby Jo had literally saved Gabriel's life, and spent a night sleeping in the same room, and the day almost entirely in each others company....

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “C'mon, kiddo. You ain't got anything I haven't seen or been. In fact I think I've been a few things you haven't seen.” The archangel smirked.

The nephilim raised a brow. “Really?”

“Mmhmm. You already know I'm Loki.” Bobby Jo did, he nodded. “Well if you know enough of my mythos you know that I switched my gender at a drop of a hat.”

Bobby Jo had forgotten about that part. He stood there a second to just blink at the archangel turned pagan god.

Hesitancy gone the teen took off his jacket, plaid outer shirt, t-shirt, and binder. Gabriel was going to need full access to his back. If that meant exposing his breast...well, the study's doors were closed and the others had promised to wait for their return.

Back bare and facing the archangel Bobby Jo brought his wings into the physical plane. This would be similar to his wings being groomed, but a tad different. This time the wing oil would mostly be used to massage the nephilim's back muscles with only some of the oil going to the wings themselves.

“Lean forward some, Bobby Jo.”

He did. As he did he stretched his wings to their fullest. Or tried to. The room might have been large enough if there weren't stacks of books and a desk in the way. Or if he were sitting closer to the center of the room and not so close to the doors. But it felt good to move them as much as he could.

Gabriel chuckled from his seat on the couch as his hands sought out the glands at the base of each wing. “We need to get you somewhere to really stretch out, huh?”

Bobby Jo groaned in pleasure at the idea and as the archangel manipulated the glands to release the oil and began rubbing it into his back and shoulders. He moaned every time Gabriel soothed out a particular tough knot as he worked from the shoulders down.

Maybe only fifteen minutes went by when Bobby Jo groaned loudly as Gabriel worked at a knot near his shoulder blade.

Dean came barging in shouting, “What the fuck -” The hunter never got to finish the sentence.

Bobby Jo yelled wordlessly even as he reacted with instinct. He grabbed his discarded clothes and flew off thinking of one thing. Wishing hard for his angel-parent. Because who better to seek refuge with than the parent that didn't have the same limitations of the human one.

…

 

The nephilim found himself standing beside a hospital bed.

Machines beeped indicating that the man laying in the bed had a steady heartbeat. Another machine though indicated that the man had little or few brainwaves.

Bobby Jo ignored the machines, focused on his Papa. With a thought he pulled the privacy curtain closed and set his clothing down on the edge of the bed. His vision began to blur as he hastily redressed, not wanting to take his eyes off his Papa for long. Once fully clothed he reached behind for the chair and pulled it close so he could sit and lay his head on the bed as he gripped Castiel's unresponsive hand.

“Papa,” Bobby Jo began a whispered prayer as tears began to fall unheeded down his cheeks. “Castiel, come back to us. We- I need you, Papa.”

 


	11. Follow The Yellow Brick Road

Meanwhile at Bobby's....

 

“What the hell?!”

The words came from both Dean and Gabriel.

The archangel stood to confront the human. “Why'd you charge in here? Could have sworn you were told we needed privacy.”

“To do what? Sounded like sex in here and then I came to investigate and there's a half-naked chick instead of a dude!” Dean gestured to where Bobby Jo had been sitting not a minute before.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “It matters what's under the clothes?” He held a hand up. “No. Do not answer that. I really don't want to hear what your pea brain actually thinks.” Behind Dean Sam snickered. Gabriel leaned to the side to glare at the tall hunter. Who took the hint and shut up.

Unfortunately it gave Dean the opportunity to restate his main concern. “Why the hell did she have no shirt on? I thought you were doing some angel thing with wings!”

The archangel wanted to roll his eyes again but fought the impulse. “We were. Until you came barging in and caused B.J. to literally take flight to who knows where!” His voice had risen by the end. Dean opened his mouth. “No,” Gabriel spoke atop of whatever the hunter would have said. “I'll answer your question, but I will not hear your caveman words.” He took a deep breath to try to calm himself. “ _He_ had _his_ shirt off because I needed to get to his back to rub the wing oil in and work knots out. Now doesn't that call for privacy? I think so.”

“But-”

“Drop it, Dean. What pronouns a being chooses to go by is up to said being. _Not_ up for common discussion.”

Dean's jaw closed with a click. He turned and walked off to Dad knew where. Gabriel could care less right then. He was more worried about Bobby Jo.

“What do we do?” Sam asked after watching his brother walk away.

“You? Nothing. I'll try to reach out to B.J. and see if I can find him.”

“After that?” Bobby asked.

Gabriel shrugged, walked back to the couch and sat elbows on knees. “That depends on where B.J. went. In the mean time I suggest you two get some sleep. It's late and there really isn't anything we can do tonight.”

Bobby and Sam nodded and walked away. Presumably to seek out their beds.

…

 

Bobby Jo could feel Gabriel reaching out to him, but refused to answer. At least at first.

 **::Bobby Jo? Are you alright?::** There was a moment of silence, except for the machines, when he didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he was, okay that is. Castiel's vessel was registering as brain-dead. How was that okay? Of course, Gabriel didn't know that.

 **::No one's upset at you, kiddo. Well, Dean was shocked, but he'll get over it.::** The archangel tried again. The nephilim was over that. Was as soon as Bobby Jo got a look at his Papa lying in the hospital bed.

 **::At least tell me you're safe.::** Gabriel practically pleaded. Perhaps the archangel truly was worried for him.

 **::I'm safe, Uncle Gabe.::** Bobby Jo finally replied. Relief came through the connection. **::I found Papa. He's laying in a hospital bed and the machine says he's brain-dead.::** He felt his Uncle's shock. **::I don't know what to do,::** the teen sobbed.

**::Hey, now. Stop that. Between the two of us we can bring your Papa around. Can you bring me there?::**

Bobby Jo nodded before remembering that Gabriel couldn't see the gesture. Instead of answering across angel radio he prepared to fly. Not before laying a kiss to his Papa's temple, of course. “I'll be right back with Uncle Gabe, Papa.”

In less than a minute the nephilim arrived back in Bobby Singer's study, standing in front of Gabriel. Without a word the archangel stood, the teen placed a hand on his shoulder, and the two vanished from the room.

Back at the hospital they arrived as Bobby Jo had before, silently and unnoticed.

Gabriel frowned at the man on the bed. He moved to step towards Castiel's head, so Bobby Jo moved aside. The archangel placed his fingertips on the vessel's forehead, the frown deepened. After a few minutes Gabriel stepped back.

“Cassie has fallen quite far, Bobby Jo. He is essentially human right now.” He saw the question in his nephew's eyes. “The machine reads him as brain-dead because he isn't actually _human_. Cassie, is still an angel. A weak one. He _looks_ human. So their machines can't read him, not accurately. There is hope though, don't you worry. There is still a speck of grace left. With that we can connect to him and encourage him to wake.” Gabriel sighed heavily. “If I had even a third of my usual power I could reconnect him to Heaven. As it is my grace is at a quarter, and that's me being generous...and my...heh...” Gabriel laughed weakly. “My pagan powers are actually gathering faster.”

“That's good news, at least, right?” The teen asked weakly.

“Maybe. But it also might alter my personality for a bit until the grace can catch up.”

Bobby Jo looked at him with wide eyes. “I didn't know they had that effect on you.”

Gabriel shrugged. “It was a side-effect from taking on the pagan godhood. I did what I had to to hide myself.”

The nephilim thought about that a moment. The room settled into silence, except for the beeping machines. When Bobby Jo did speak it was to ask, “How do we make a connection with Papa to wake him up?”

“We don't,” Uncle Gabe answered. “You do,” he booped the teen on the nose.

Bobby Jo rolled his eyes. “And how am _I_ supposed to do that?”

“By following the connection you share as parent and child. You follow it like the Yellow Brick Road and before you know it you'll hit Emerald City. Very much how you found yourself here in the first place is my guess.” As the archangel talked he guided his nephew to a chair. “Sit. I'll can guide you to the road, like the Munchkins, but you have to be Dorthy and do all the actual work. Now, close your eyes.” Bobby Jo did. There was a push on his shoulder. “Try to relax,” he was pushed back into the chair back. “It'll help you focus. Speaking of which....” The beeping ceased. “That was getting annoying anyways. Now, can you find that connection in you? The one you used to find your Papa?”

Bobby Jo tried to relax. He breathed in, then out, and tried to release the tension in his shoulders. Uncle Gabe's low tones were kinda soothing in their steady stream. Soon, though, they faded to a pleasant background sound as the nephilim thought about his Papa, looking for the connection Gabriel mentioned.

He thought about his childhood in the Men of Letters bunker. Learning the names of countries from Uncle Sam using the map table. How Dad would sometimes sing his favorite songs while cooking in the kitchen. Cuddles on the couch with Papa watching classic movies. How Bobby Jo always wanted to see Papa's wings. But how he always refused. Once when the nephilim had been older, had admitted how shamed Castiel had felt to think about his useless wings. Bobby Jo had cried so hard for Papa that night. That was probably their saddest memory of their Papa. Even seeing their family come back from a hunt wasn't nearly as bad as Bobby Jo felt that they would never get to see Papa's wings. Well, after Bobby Jo found out about the Empty. And what had sent them on their journey.

Castiel had tried to sooth them that night. Ended up holding Bobby Jo until they had fallen asleep in their Papa's arms. Strong arms. Arms that had always made them feel safe.

Bobby Jo loved cuddles in those arms. Face pressed into Papa's chest so they could smell his unique scent. Like lightning and rain on a sunny day. Only Papa smelled like that.

The nephilim could smell in now. As if he was wrapped in Castiel's arms. But he couldn't feel arms around him. What he _could_ feel was the vibrations and bumps of a familiar vehicle driving down any road across the United States. He could hear the familiar rumble, too. As if he really was sitting in the Impala.

Bobby Jo opened his eyes and he was. Sitting in the backseat. Next to Castiel, who was dressed in a familiar trench coat.

“The Impala really is a soothing place to be in. No wonder Dean and Sam call her home,” the angel told the teen.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The yellow brick road analogy is due to a crack fic I read right before writing that scene. http://archiveofourown.org/works/10670598/chapters/23619867
> 
> Question for y'all: I've already written the next handful of chapters...but the one I'm about to write could go one of two ways.... It largely depends on you. Since the main event that Bobby Jo is worried about is about 5 or 6 yrs from (past) current time I could do a LOT LOT of chapters with time lapse in between certain scenes, I can turn this into a series of a season (still with time lapses) per part, or I can send Bobby Jo home soon and have them find out how things go with leaving a list of events with Cas or Gabe (very Back To The Future like when Marty gives Doc Brown the letter). What say you?


	12. "Wakey, wakey, Cassie!"

Castiel squinted at the teen beside him. They were both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

“You are a nephilim.” It was a statement, not an accusation.

“Yes, I am.”

The falling angel tilted his head a bit, as if that would give him a better read on the being beside him. Castiel's brows came down. “And using male pronouns. How do I know that?”

The boy grinned and nodded.

The grin paired with those green eyes made Castiel's own narrow in suspicion. It was about then that he saw how the nephilim was dressed. Very similar to a certain pair of brothers, the ones that usually sat in the Impala's front seat. The falling angel leaned in closer to the nephilim, as if to get a better look at something. And he did get a better look. Castiel finally saw what looked like his own grace twined around Dean's soul.

“It can't be....” he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence or the thought.

The boy's, no fledgling's, grin grew wider. “I knew you'd recognize me, Papa.”

Castiel couldn't hide the surprise that washed over him. He shook his head. “No. Nephilim were outlawed after the last time.”

The fledgling nodded. “Yeah, but your Father didn't mean for it to stay that way. When you conceived me He let it happen.”

Alright. Castiel could accept his Father's will. “Then why are you here. Now. This is not your Time.”

“No. It's not. You and Dad told me some stuff and I knew right away that I had to fix it if I could. So I came to the past.”

“But the past can't be changed. Not really.”

The fledgling nodded again. “Yeah. Maybe. But this discussion needs to be put on hold. Right now you are in a hospital bed and the humans think you're brain-dead.” The nephilim's face fell into sadness. Castiel decided then and there that he did not like to see his fledgling sad. It made something inside squeeze unpleasantly.

“What do I need to do?”

“Wake up. Come back to me and Dad.”

By the end of the first sentence the fledgling began to fade away. By the end of the second Castiel's surroundings faded as well.

…

 

The first thing Castiel heard was not what he expected. He expected beeping machines considering he'd been told by his fledgling that he was in a hospital. He wasn't very familiar with them, but he had been in a few by now. They all had beeping machines.

No, the first thing he heard was: “Wakey, wakey, Cassie. Time to open them peepers so we can break you out of here.”

When he did he saw a visage that matched the voice. Recognized and fully unexpected.

“Gabriel.”

“The one and only!” Castiel's older brother grinned.

“Technically you are not the only Gabriel.”

The archangel rolled his eyes. “Typical angel literalism.” He glance at someone Castiel couldn't see from his almost prone position.

“That doesn't really change,” a new voice confirmed. Young and familiar.

It took the falling angel a moment to place it. When he did he tried to sit up.

“Hold on there, bucko. Let's raise the bed.”

When the bed was adjusted sufficiently Castiel could now see the nephilim. His fledgling. He looked exactly as he had looked in the...dream?

Castiel lifted his arms and that's all it took. The fledgling quickly climbed into the hospital bed. Thankfully as gently as they could. The young nephilim cuddled against his side.

Gabriel laughed. “Couldn't wait till he was healed, huh?”

He received a chorused, “No.” Which made the archangel laugh heartier.

His fledgling brought a hand up and laid it gently against his heart. A soft white light, with a tinge of blue, could just barely be seen from underneath. Within a moment Castiel felt better. No more bruises, cuts, or fractured ribs. He was still thirsty and was that hunger?

“I do not like feeling human,” Castiel said dispirited.

“No. I wouldn't either,” Gabriel told him seriously. Then his face grew grim. “If I was at full power myself I could easily reconnect you to Heaven.” He shook his head sadly. “As it is of the three of us the fledgling is the one with the most power.”

Castiel squinted at his older brother. It was indeed as was stated. Gabriel was only a fraction of his full power levels. In fact.... “Your grace is...its....”

“Recharging. Yeah. Kinda has to happen after I nearly died in a fight against the Devil himself.”

The falling angel felt his eyes widen. “You went up against Lucifer?!” Castiel was horrified at the implications.

“Yeah,” Gabriel confirmed. “I was never a match for Big Bro One or Two. And with me in a vessel of my own creation I'm not nearly as strong as I could be. So when I went to save the bacon of Twiddles Dee and Dum good ole Luce showed up. Someone had to do something. He wiped the floor with the gathered pagans.” The archangel cringed at the memory.

“How did you survive then?”

He gestured to the fledgling. “Your little one. He hid himself, made Lucifer think I'd died, and closed the wound so no more grace could leak out.”

Castiel gazed down at the dark head that was tucked into his chest. He ran a hand over the long hair. It was still hard for him to believe that he had a child. Or rather would. And if the implications were correct then he would have a child, this one, some time in the future, with Dean. The very human Castiel had chosen to fall for. At least some part of the future was bright.

“If you two are done...or can hold off until we get back...we really need to get out of here before the nurse does their rounds and find a miraculously healed, conscious John Doe.”

The fledgling silently stood and laid a hand on Castiel and Gabriel's shoulders. In an instant they were standing in Bobby Singer's study. The falling angel felt the rug under his bare feet and looked down at himself. “I'm going to need some clothes. Hospital gowns are woefully inadequate coverings.”

Gabriel snickered.

When Castiel looked up he watched as the fledgling summoned his clothes. Now clean and folded.

“I took the liberty to take the blood out.” The nephilim held out the stack like an offering. Castiel took them. “Now if you two don't mind I really need to sleep.” He took the single step to the couch, laid down, and fell promptly asleep.

“That sounds good,” Castiel admitted aloud.

 


	13. Food For Thought

The morning brought...well, a lot.

In fact he wasn't sure what woke him. It could have been the sun in his eyes. The birds welcoming the new day. His family arguing in the kitchen. Yeah...maybe that one.

Bobby Jo sat up with a cringe. He felt grimy. His hair needed washing and he desperately needed a change of clothes.

Somehow without anyone noticing he stood up from the couch in the study and strode softly to the kitchen.

Of course. They were arguing about the Apocalypse. Okay. Granted it was a really, _really_ big deal and all.... But the world wasn't ending for the moment. Besides, by the sound of things no one had an idea where Pestilence was yet.

“Yo!” Bobby Jo raised his voice to be heard. When he had it from all five men, relatively speaking, he continued. “Time-traveler here. Yeah. That's right. I know _sorta_ about where and when certain things are going to go down. I know we _won't_ find shit today and there is nothing else important going on. So I suggest we eat. And then hopefully I can persuade someone to take me clothes shopping? Kinda couldn't bring supplies with me other than what I'm wearing. Let me tell you it's gonna get gross if I have to wear this,” he gestured at all of himself, “for much longer.”

The short speech got a mix of reactions. There was pride and amusement in Bobby Singer's eyes. Dean managed to look shamefaced. Sam was giving his brother an 'I told you so' face, which Dean was pointedly ignoring. Gabriel...he had an unreadable twinkle in his eyes.

Castiel on the other hand smiled, walked over to Bobby Jo, and wrapped him in his arms. “Good morning, fledgling. Did you sleep well?”

“Well enough from a night on that couch, Papa.”

_That_ got a few reactions.

Bobby chuckled wryly.

Dean and Sam both cried out, “What?!” But in different ways. Deans was incredulous whereas Sam was more surprised.

Gabriel spoke up. “Ya know...the kid does have a name.”

Dean groaned. “I can see it now. Something biblical. What _does_ 'B.J.' stand for?”

Sam grimaced at his brother. “Better hope it's biblical. Knowing you you'd name your kid 'blow job'.”

Dean swung a fist towards his brother but stopped short. Then he made a considering face; one that said just maybe he would have; then he punched his little brother in the arm anyways. Sam rubbed the spot as he grinned at his older brother.

“ _Do_ you have an angelic name, little one?” Papa asked, now with one arm wrapped around the nephilim's shoulders, holding him close.

Bobby Jo's mouth twitched. “For a middle name actually.” He winced. “It sounds better in Enochian.” He took a deep breath and said, “In English it's Manakel.”

Castiel looked contemplative.

Gabriel laughed short and loud. “Ha! Appropriate.”

“Well, what does it mean?” Bobby groused.

Bobby Jo gave Uncle Gabe a pleading look, which he ignored. “'Holder of knowledge of good and evil',” the archangel told the group with a smirk.

“Huh,” came from all three humans.

Sam asked, “And 'B.J.'?”

“'Bobby Jo',” the nephilim answered for himself.

Dean's eyes grew big and a tad wet. “Oh.” He took a breath. “Um...after Bobby...and uh....”

“Yeah,” Bobby Jo answered softly.

“Oh. Okay. Yeah. That's cool.” Dean didn't seem to know what to do with himself with that knowledge.

…

 

Sam wasn't surprised that Bobby had oatmeal in the cupboards but nothing to make dinner with. He also wasn't surprised when Gabriel declined the bland offering.

What was, by now only a little, surprising was the concerned look Bobby Jo gave Gabriel.

Gabriel brushed it off. “I'm good, kiddo. I've got enough grace back that I don't need it.” Bobby Jo didn't look fully convinced, but dropped it.

Sam didn't. “What do you mean, Gabriel? I know you said you didn't have the mojo to snap up a candy bar, but I didn't think it was that bad.”

“Oh, don't give me that look...” The archangel whined.

“What look?”

“Like you might actually be concerned for me. I don't think my heart can take it.”

“What heart?” Dean muttered under his breath as he spooned oatmeal into his mouth. Gabriel ignored Dean's words.

Sam sputtered. “I- I- uh- d-didn't-”

“You don't have to, Samantha,” Dean teased. “You wear your heart on your sleeve.”

“Do not!”

Castiel was watching the exchange with a frown, something practically customary for the angel. Bobby Jo, though, looked on as if the people at the table were particularly entertaining with a hint of familiarity to it. Bobby, at least, had nothing to say only because he'd already complained about a crowded kitchen, cooked the oatmeal, dished himself a bowl and stomped away.

Right around then Sam realized that the question of Gabriel's power levels had been neatly dodged.

Gabriel winked before asking a question of his own. “So...about this shopping trip?”

Castiel put his spoon down looking somehow mournful at his empty bowl. Bobby Jo wordlessly stood, and got the the falling...was he still falling or was he fallen now...? Former angel? Whichever.... The teen picked up the empty bowl, filled it, and returned it to a surprised Cas. “Thank you.” He didn't begin eating again. Though he took up his spoon again. Without looking at anyone in particular he said, “I think I should buy some clothing as well.”

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. It was starting to really sink in that their angel friend, and that was what he was, wasn't all that much an angel anymore.

“Alright. That's easily taken care of,” Sam reassured his friend.

“Yup!” Gabriel agreed. “Especially since it's big bro footin' the bill!” The archangel grinned at the frowns on brothers' faces. “I do have money,” he teased. Frowns turned to doubtful looks. Now Gabriel looked hurt. It might have been fake, or real, Sam wasn't sure. “You think I mojo up everything?”

“Well, sure,” Sam said. “We've seen what you can do.”

Gabriel scowled. “Yeah, well, I wasn't playacting that janitor job.”

“You actually worked there for six years?” Dean asked disbelieving.

“No. But did for six months. I _did_ and do need to play the yokel once in awhile. You know, to blend in.” The last was uttered with a sneer.

Sam narrowed his eyes at the tone. Gabriel could be a dick, that was a given with all angels; even Cas was at first. This though...it sounded like superiority. Something they've heard from several angels and every god and goddess they'd met to-date. Never Gabriel. Not like this. Something was off....

It was put out of his mind as breakfast was finished off.

They decided it was best the group split up for the day.

Sam would take Bobby's van to take Bobby Jo, Cas, and Gabriel shopping for clothes and toiletries. Dean would take the Impala, of course, and go buy groceries and necessary hunting supplies. And Bobby would stay behind to hunt for signs for Pestilence.

As he put it, “Someone's gotta stay and do some work while you girls do girl things.”

Dean rolled his eyes as the larger group headed out the door leaving Bobby at his desk.

When the hunter took two steps off the porch towards his car Bobby Jo nudged Gabriel with an elbow.

“Huh? Oh, righto! Hey, Dean! Hold up, there, cowboy! Your car's got ears!”

“What?!” Dean didn't like that idea.

Neither did Sam. “You know who put it there?”

Bobby Jo answered, “Crowley had a henchman do it.”

“Can you find it, Gabriel?” Dean asked hopeful with an edge that was close to demanding. Everyone knew how protective Dean was of his car. And Sam. Sometimes in that order. Sam had always found it more amusing than anything else.

It took the archangel all of ten minutes to find the bug. Which turns out to be an old coin, wedged into a crevice under the front seat.

“Is that a Celtic coin?” Sam asked aloud.

“Could you get any nerdier?” Dean retorted.

“Doesn't matter.” With a flick of Gabriel's wrist, like he's doing a magic trick. But instead of revealing the coin from some hidden location, it vanished.

“Is Baby good now?” Dean asked with concern for his car.

“Yeah,” the archangel answered dryly. “No more bugs in your car.” Without another word he strode of towards Bobby's van, and leans against it like he's got all the time in the world.

Dean muttered under his breath, “Drama Queen much?”

Except that wasn't Gabriel being dramatic. The brothers had seen dramatic. T.V. Land and 'Loki's' entrance at Elysian Fields had been dramatic. Sam wanted to think more about what might be going on with the archangel, but he was nudged towards the van and Dean was already putting the key in the ignition of the Impala.

The drive to the Walmart was silent. Sam didn't feel the need to turn the radio on. None of the other three seemed to feel like talking. Neither did Sam.

When they walked into the air conditioned warehouse-like store Sam didn't know what to do with himself. Sam and Dean usually shopped Goodwill and the like for clothes. Anything else they need they bought at whatever Mom and Pop store they came across in Small Town, America. The hunter can't honestly remember if he'd actually ever been inside a Walmart.

So when Bobby Jo pulled a cart from a line of others and the fallen angel and the archangel followed, well, Sam did, too.

After the freak out from Dean the night before Sam was still a little surprised to see Bobby Jo browse both the Men's and Women's sections. He did his best to hide it and no one seemed to notice if he succeeded or not.

When they pass through the aisles with socks the hunter stopped and considered the options. His _were_ getting a bit worn. _It wouldn't hurt to replace some of the holier ones._ After finding a package of the correct size, and getting it off the hook with only a minimum of fuss, Sam didn't know what to do with the package. So he held onto it.

Two aisles over where Bobby Jo was looking at women's underthings, Sam caught up to the group. In the cart was a pair of boxers. The teen was looking at panties.

The package of socks were taken from his loose grip. Before he could protest they were added to the cart.

“Sometimes it's not about how I present on the outside,” Bobby Jo was saying. “Sometimes what I wear has more to do with what my body feels comfortable in.”

“How does that work?” Sam asked trying not to look too much at the panties in their packages. And oh, so glad that Dean wasn't here.

“For a human? Couldn't tell you. Since I have an angelic parent I have to assume it's different for me.” When Sam raised a questioning brow the teen went on. “Castiel, like the rest of the angels, doesn't see himself as a man. No matter how long he's in or will be in a male vessel. Even now that he's fallen I'm guessing he still wouldn't think of himself as male.” Both the hunter and the teen looked over where they could see Cas and Gabriel looking at something in the archangel's hands. Gabriel appeared to be explaining something to his fallen brother. They didn't look like they were getting into mischief so Sam turned back to Bobby Jo.

“So what does that mean for you?”

Bobby Jo shrugged, then having come to some sort of decision he pulled what seemed like a random package off of a hook. “Not sure. But I think it has to do with angels being completely gender-less.” He began pushing the cart out of the aisle.

“Gabe, Cas, c'mon!” Sam called before turning to follow. As he did he caught a glimpse of Gabriel moving something just out of sight. Like the archangel was trying to hide something without _looking_ like he was hiding something. _So much for no mischief_ , Sam sighed internally, but didn't call attention to whatever Gabriel was doing.

Gabriel came forward with a grin and a spring in his step. “A nickname! I've been accepted!”

Sam made a face, but didn't argue.

The tall hunter was quiet as he followed the other three around the store, not really paying attention. He wanted to put together some of the things Bobby Jo had told him.

Bobby Jo's parents were Dean and Cas. That in of itself was still mind boggling; no matter how much Sam teased Dean about their eye sex thing.

So...one parent had gender and the other did not. How did that work? Was it like 1+0=1? Therefore since one parent, the human one, had a gender then the child did? Or was it that the child had a sex, like a coin flip for human children's DNA. And maybe gender had nothing to do with the sex of a child?

Sam shook his head. All it did was create more questions.

“You're thinking to hard.”

The hunter flinched to the side into a rack of shirts. Sam caught himself before he could tip it over.

Gabriel was giggling, holding his sides. “That was too easy, Sasquatch.” He followed the hunter's gaze to where Bobby Jo was pulling out shirts, holding them up, and putting them back. “Ah. Trying to puzzle the kid out, huh? Well, don't bother.”

Sam turned to Gabriel.

“Do you accept Bobby Jo for who and what they are?”

“Yeah...” Sam answered hesitantly.

“Whether they are a he or a she or neither or both?”

Did he? Did it actually matter if Sam understood their gender?

“Yeah.”

“Good.” Gabriel smacked Sam lightly on the ass and walked over to the teen. When he got there the archangel pulled a shirt from the rack. “This one.”

Sam was still processing the swat to his butt. It was a little late to react to it so he let it go.

Bobby Jo gave the shirt a once over, smiled, and said, “Thanks, Uncle Gabe.”

…

 

There was a surprise waiting at Bobby's house when they returned. It wasn't a good one. And Sam couldn't shoot it. Or stab it.

Hopefully it wasn't leaving the Devil's Trap in Bobby's study anytime soon.

“Hello, Moose. I see you've gained a couple of new friends after losing the last two. Maybe these two will stay a little longer?”

Sam really, _really_ wanted to kill Crowley. And he couldn't.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't make the angel name up or what it means. I found it on the nets.
> 
> The convo between Bobby Jo and Sam was inspired by a comment a few chapters ago. The thoughts Sam has after...well that was mostly my tired brain.


	14. The Devil You Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the dialogue has been lifted straight from the episode.

Bobby Jo was not expecting to run into the King of the Crossroads (not the King of Hell yet).

But there the demon was. Thankfully trapped by the devil's trap. Dressed in a tailored black suit, and charcoal gray tie. But not looking his best. His coat was a little rumpled and his hair looked like he'd run his fingers through it instead of combing it.

That was on that outside. What most everyone saw.

What Bobby Jo saw was a black swirliness that made him want to take a shower. He shuddered. He could take one later. Right now Bobby Jo needed to be paying attention. Uncle Sam and Crowley were talking. If you could call it that.

Sam growled, stalking towards the demon, “You want to talk? After what you did to us?” Gabriel grabbed the enraged hunter by the arm before Sam could step over the trap's lines to get to his target.

Crowley sounded almost confused. “After what I -what I did to you?! I gave you the Colt!”

“Yeah, and you knew it wouldn't work against the Devil!”

This time the demon sounded affronted. “I never!”

“You set us up,” Sam accused. “You knew it was a suicide run! They were good people!” The hunter's fists clenched, clearly wishing he had a weapon that he could use on the crossroads demon.

“Who you take on the ride is your business!” The demon yelled back. Then, instantly calmed, he looked around. “Where's Squirrel? I see a pagan god, a fallen angel, and a half grown boy. But not your other half.”

“Right here,” Dean came strolling in the door. “B.J. take your stuff upstairs.”

Bobby Jo wanted to argue, but that was the Dad Voice. There was no arguing against it.

…

 

Dean didn't look to see if the boy followed the order or not. The retreating footsteps was enough to let him know that his future kid could at least follow orders when it counted most.

The hunter pulled Ruby's dagger from inside his jacket. “Now, give me one good reason to not plunge this into your dead heart.” The words came out a lot calmer than he thought he should be feeling. Dean was as angry towards the demon as Sam was, but he blamed himself more for the deaths of Jo and Ellen than he blamed Crowley.

“I can give you Pestilence.”

_Okay. That was a good reason._

“I know how to get him. That's got your interest, doesn't it?”

_Maybe a little._ But Dean wasn't going to tell the demon that.

“Are you actually listening to this?” Sam asked incredulously.

Before Dean could reason with his brother Cas spoke up. “The demon might be able to help.”

“Thank you!”

Before anything else could be said footsteps came hurriedly down the stairs. _That didn't last as long as I'd hoped_ , Dean thought wryly.

“Oh, good! You're still here.” The kid wasn't even panting.

“What do ya mean, B.J.?” Was he afraid they'd go somewhere with Crowley? Dean knew Bobby Jo was from the future, but how much did he know of current events?

“Um...” the teen's eyes shifted from being to being. When they finally landed on Dean again it was clear Bobby Jo hadn't meant to say what he had. Not in front of an outsider. Certainly not in front of Crowley.

The demon's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the teen. “Who are you?”

“None of your concern, _demon_ ,” Cas snarled pulling Bobby Jo behind himself. Dean sighed internally. That move, as much as he mentally applauded it, simply sent the wheels turning in Crowley's head instead.

“My, my. Protective, aren't we?”

“Damn, right,” Bobby growled from behind the demon. The older hunter had been sitting at his desk. Now he stood beside it, still on the outside of the devil's trap.

…

 

Bobby Jo didn't know what to do.

It wasn't that he let something slip. It was that he let his concern for his family speak before he could think. Which might be enough to set Crowley to figuring him out. _Dammit!_ _I'm not very good at this keeping future secrets thing!_

Bobby Jo knew that his family had gotten some information with Crowley's help. He just didn't know what or how. Dad and Uncle Sam wouldn't talk about the details. If it was the location...were they even ready to take on the Horseman? Dad and Uncle Sam hadn't been quite enough originally. Papa had come just in time. But Papa was here with Dad and Uncle Sam now. And they had Bobby Jo and Gabriel to help this time. All they needed was Pestilence's location.

_If Crowley can get that information I guess they need to go with him...._ Bobby Jo didn't like the thought. It was because of Crowley that Dad was going to get the Mark from Cain. ...and all the chain of events that happened after....

…

 

“Why _are_ you here, Crowley?” Dean asked trying to get back on topic. One he didn't want focused on his kid. He _could_ have asked how the demon had found them, but Dean had already knew that the coin had been Crowley's. Even if he hadn't know, Crowley had, after all, shown up the same day the coin had been discovered and done away with.

“Ah, yes, that. I can get you Pestilence.”

“About that. How do you know we want Pestilence?”

“My magical coin, the one someone destroyed...” Gabriel winked at Crowley. “It was more than a tracking device. It allowed me to hear things, too -and, my, the things that I've heard,” the crossroads demon chuckled. “You want to put the Devil back in the box. I want the Devil back in his box.”

“And you can give us Pestilence?” Dean was skeptical.

“Well, now...” Crowley hedged. “I don't know where Pestilence is...per se. But I can get you his stable boy. He'll know the itinerary.”

In the end, and after much arguing, Dean left alone with Crowley to go 'talk' to the stable boy. That mostly had to do with Crowley teleporting the both of them into the Impala. Where Dean started the engine, still having had the keys in his pocket, and driving the pair of them away.

Dean came back alone late that night, only slightly worse for wear. But he had the information. A time, date, and location of Pestilence. He'd even been able to do something for Sammy. Dean killed the demon personally responsible for killing Jessica Moore.

 


	15. A Little Bit Of Loki Is All I Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The archangel/pagan god scale is tipped towards pagan god and Loki comes out to play a few harmless pranks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An indulgent chapter.

It turned out that they had quite some time to kill before they got to take on Pestilence.

Which was good in Gabriel's eyes. He would need every minute to recharge his grace. Of course, that didn't mean that he couldn't _use_ it for small things. If he had to. Mostly he didn't have to. Mostly he began using his pagan powers; which were nearly at full charge.

Those that prayed and worshiped Loki was still a pretty hefty number, if he did say so himself. And now that they were making a Marvel movie about Thor.... Well, those numbers were growing.

Two days after Dean had popped off with Crowley Gabriel began finding candy and sweets in his pockets again. In fact, about two thirds of what people saw him eating were offerings to Loki. It was simply easier to let people to believe what they wanted. If Bobby Jo and Cas thought it was a sign that his powers were charging, he wasn't going to correct them. They weren't exactly wrong either. It just wasn't a sign of his grace.

Where his grace was slow to charge his pagan powers were quickly charging. In fact, within the week his pagan power was nearly to max. This caused an imbalance in Gabriel. It meant that he was actually more Loki than Gabriel. More mischief than justice.

Whether it was large or small he couldn't fight his nature. Right now that nature was Loki, god of Mischief and Chaos. Mischief meant playing tricks. But since Gabriel, or rather Loki, didn't want to be shot, stabbed, or warded against entering Bobby Singer's house...well...he decided it was in his best interest to keep things small. Annoying and inconvenient (pranks) versus scenarios that could may or may not cause maiming and/or death (the usual trickster justice).

_Speaking of wards.... The kid had managed to bust a few when he flew out in a panic._ As a powered up pagan god that was nothing more than a thought to fix. _And done._

However, it did bring to mind a prank Loki wanted to pull.... With a snap of fingers the prank was set. Now all he had to do was sit back, unwrap the candy bar he found in his jacket pocket, and wait for the sweet reaction.

Ten minutes later Loki was licking chocolate off his fingers when there was a distant sound of an annoyed teen. The god grinned to himself.

Few minutes after that Bobby Jo came stomping from the bathroom and into the kitchen where Loki was balanced on the back two legs of the chair he was sitting in. Long soft pink hair still damp.

“What did you do to my shampoo, Uncle Gabe?!” The youngest Winchester growled.

Loki smirked. “Firstly, I believe 'Uncle Loki' might be more appropriate.” Something like surprise flashed in the teen's eyes, a small flicker of remembrance after that. “Second, I thought the color would go well with your wings, little bird.”

Bobby Jo thought about it for about a minute. Even pulled a lock forward to get another look at it. With some hesitancy he replied, “It _is_ a nice color.” He sighed. “I just can't blend in and be forgotten if I have bright hair, Uncle Loki.”

Loki shrugged. Even if the kid did have a valid point. “I might take that under consideration.”

“I suppose that's all I can ask.”

“Breakfast?” Loki snapped his fingers and a stack of warm pancakes, warm maple syrup, and a glass of orange juice appeared on the table.

“Thanks,” the teen smiled.

Castiel also took the change in stride (expected), as well as the prank (annoyingly so). When Loki had turned the grape jelly to strawberry jam (while it was in the sandwich) Castiel had taken a bite, noted the change, and had shrugged! Then had continued eating. The trickster had gotten no enjoyment from that one. Once the feather head had swallowed the bite he said, as if he was challenging the other, “I expected more from you, Gabriel.”

Loki huffed. “Loki,” he corrected, but said nothing more.

The fallen angel tilted his head a moment then went silently back to his sandwich. Strawberry jam and all.

After that Loki took up the challenge.

With a snap of fingers the cupboards and cabinets had their contents rearranged. Where plates were supposed to be glasses could be found instead, and etc. When the prank was discovered someone yelled, “Gabriel!”

Loki would holler back with the correct name.

Same thing happened when the googly eyes on every carton and container in the fridge.

The thing about being a Trickster god was that time wasn't needed to set the pranks up. Loki only had to wait and watch the reactions. Which was usually a mix of amusement and scowling, depending on who discovered what prank.

It was by chance that Samoose found the blue Kool-Aid coming out of the shower. Dean howled with laughter when his not so little brother stormed out of the shower dripping blue liquid.

“It's not funny, Dean,” Samoose gritted out.

“Is too. You should really see yourself. Besides it's harmless.”

When the bitchface was turned onto the prankster Loki grinned. Samoose growled, “Fix it, Gabriel.”

“Loki,” he replied, but snapped his fingers anyways. He really didn't want Samoose mad at him for long. The tall one was is favorite.

The last prank took three full days to be discovered. Maybe because it started slow. One by one little green men, army men, began showing up in the most random places. In cupboards, in drawers, between two folded shirts. The list of locations went on and on. One was found in Bobby Jo's jacket pocket. She, she was a she now, raised a brow at Loki, didn't say a word, and stuck it back in her pocket. Loki didn't count that as a discovery simply because his niece hadn't said anything to let on that it was a prank.

It was Bobby _Singer_ that figured it out. It could have been a desk drawer full of green army men. But when the old hunter yelled, “Loki!” The god was pleased as punch.

“Finally,” he whispered to himself as he pulled a lollipop from a pocket.

 


	16. Connected to Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe reconnects Cas to Heaven. And there's bits of fluff if you squint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my last pre-written chapter. So posting gets slower from here on out. But have faith! I'm not dropping this story any time soon! And Writer's block does not equal dropage.
> 
> If it hasn't been noticed I've turned this into a series. Part 1 will be till the end of Season 5. So each part after will be scenes that take place during a single season.

About two days before the group was to make their move against Pestilence Gabriel declared that he had enough grace to connect Castiel back to Heaven and that if, “...you mortals want to keep those headlights shining bright you might want to step out of the house for a bit.”

To Bobby Jo he said, “You can stay, little bird, but you might want to wait in the kitchen with the study doors closed.”

As Castiel and Gabriel went into the study Bobby Jo closed the doors that separated the room from the kitchen, as well as the set that closed off the room from the front hall.

Minutes went by where nothing happened. At least that Bobby Jo could tell. Then all of a sudden there was a great white light, faintly tinted blue and purple, that filled and streamed from the cracks between the doors and between the doors and the floor. The light kept filling all the empty spaces until the nephilim was sure that it was streaming out of the windows.

Although the light felt warm and pleasant against her skin she was sure that it would have seared the eyes of Uncle Sam, Dad, and Uncle Bobby.

Bobby Jo couldn't tell how long the light show lasted. Surely only minutes, if that, but it felt like an awful long time.

Then, how sudden it began, it stopped.

Castiel and Gabriel walked out of the study.

To the human eye they looked how they always looked. Pretty normal.

To Bobby Jo the pair shined just a little bit. She couldn't see their true forms, but this was as close as she ever got. Just a little hint to tell her, a nephilim, that these two were the real deal. Powerful angelic beings in willing vessels.

Or in Gabriel's case a created one. There was a slight difference to his. She couldn't actually tell what it was, but already knowing what it was made up the difference.

“Oh, man, you guys look so good!” Bobby Jo rushed to her Papa to give him a tight hug. She turned her head towards her uncle. He had a small smile she couldn't read. Bobby Jo left he Papa's arms and went to he uncle. “Thanks, Uncle Gabe.”

The archangel's arms tightened around her. “Why are you thanking me, little bird?”

“Because even though I know generally what the future holds I....”

“Ah. I see.” Uncle Gabe sounded like he truly did.

Papa seemed to understand, too. He ran a hand down Bobby Jo's pale pink unbound hair. “Little one, no matter what events change, our future or your history, your birth is set in stone.” In an instant Bobby Jo was back in his arms, burying her head in his shoulder. The angel's arms wrapped around her securely. “A birth cannot be undone. And in my arms I hold the solid proof that I will have a child.”

“Ah. So that's why you're taking this so well, Cas.” The words were light and serious at the same time.

…

 

Dean came through the front door right about then.

Cas was saying, “How can I refute the evidence of my own child, Gabriel?”

The hunter could not argue those words if he wanted to. Which he didn't. Granted, it meant he had to face a lot of things he rather not. But damn it! He wanted what Bobby Jo was proof of. Even if he was still having a hard time with the thoughts and feelings the scene before him was invoking.

Someone poked him in the back. “Move out of the doorway, Dean!” Sammy complained.

“Some of us want to get into the house today, boy!” Bobby snarled.

“Alright, alright, old man!” Dean called back as he moved forward. “Don't get your Depends in a bunch!” That comment earned him a wack on the back of the head. Dean grinned anyways.

The grin didn't so much as fall as morph into a different kind of smile as the hunter met the angel's eyes over the head of their future child. Something loosened in Dean's chest when the angel smiled back.

 


	17. 2 Minutes to Midnight (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two sets of brothers have an argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some dialogue is straight from the show.
> 
> Oh, and have tissues handy, no seriously. I cried hard writing part of this chapter. Like actual tears were shed. I broke my own heart.

_'Twas the night be Christmas and a-_ Wait. Wrong story.

'Twas a spring day in May and at the home of one Bobby Singer an unusual group folks that called themselves a family had gathered to form a battle plan. If by 'battle plan' one meant Sam's idea to take on Lucifer from the inside.

“What the Hell is wrong with you?” Dean was yelling at his brother.

“Dean-”

The older brother threw out a hand. “...no, don't 'Dean' me.” The hunter began to pace up and down the kitchen. Not that there was much room to do so with the table and five other people. “I mean, you – you have had some stupid ideas in the past. But this-” Dean turned to Bobby. “Please tell me you didn't know about this?”

The look on Bobby's face was answer enough. He nodded anyways.

That seemed to infuriate Dean. “Well, thanks for the heads up!”

“Hey, this ain't about me.”

The older Winchester turned to the others in the kitchen. “How come no one is arguing this?!”

Cas' voice was unusually soft when he said, “It has its merits. You both have a habit of exceeding my expectations. Maybe Sam _can_ resist Lucifer from the inside.”

Dean groaned. _This can't be happening!_ He eyed his...daughter. It was still hard to accept the fact that his future child...or anyone...could go by one set of pronouns for a period of time and then suddenly change it up. He was getting used to it, but he thought it might take awhile. _That_ was a thought he couldn't think about right then.

He asked Bobby Jo, “Do I want to know what happens?”

She shook her head sadly and that was more than enough of an answer.

“Gabriel?” Dean asked. Then noticed, for the first time, that the archangel's eyes weren't focused on the here and now.

…

 

Gabriel was mostly focused inward.

Even without his grace and pagan powers at an imbalance there was no way he could confront his older brothers. Not like he tried to when he went up against Luci. _That_ had been an epitome of bad ideas. On par with what Sam was suggesting. (Even though he was focused inward he could still hear, and catalog, everything going on in the kitchen.)

Yes, Luci needed to go back into the box. _Didn't he?_ Yes, Sam _might_ be able to override Luci's hold long enough to take a swan dive into an open Cage. No, Gabriel didn't have a better plan. He rather his brothers weren't fighting at all.

But the thought of Sam pulling Luci into the Cage.... _Sam_ being in the Cage.... Those thoughts had pain tearing through him. Unconsciously he rubbed a hand over scar, outside of his shirt.

A different thought, more of a memory, surfaced. Something Bobby Jo had said that night that he should have died; while Gabriel was beginning to truly realized he _hadn't_ died. _“When Uncle gets that drunk he talks. And he talks about you.”_ What was the implication there? On Gabriel's end...it was coming to the point that he could not deny that he'd do anything for the survival of someone he should not care about. And care he did.

It was why he had tried to teach the young hunter that he couldn't save his older brother from dying. _This_ situation now, the upcoming fight between Lucifer and Michael, or at least the events that would lead to it, was what he meant by them always sacrificing themselves for each other. It was why Sam was about to volunteer himself as a meatsuit. And then there was everything he'd tried to tell them in the warehouse. It was all happening now.

It was almost enough to make an angel cry. With frustration and emotions he'd been trying not to put labels on. Naming a thing made it real. Gabriel didn't want to put a name to something if the focus of those emotions was going to sacrifice himself!

Something niggled at the back of the angel's mind. Another memory.

The morning Gabriel had groomed the nephilim's wings and the (then) boy had told him that Sam and Dean had been a part of several events after Sam said yes to the Devil. That implied that Sam didn't stay in the Cage. But Bobby Jo hadn't said anything about how Sam had gotten out.... That alone had Gabriel concerned. He _really_ didn't want the Winchester going into the Cage or saying yes in the first place.

So the question remained: What could Gabriel do to change the outcome?

Even after his failure and near death at Lucifer's hand, he _could not_ sit back and simply watch the Apocalypse happen now.

…

 

Everyone watched as Gabriel's eyes darted around like someone dreaming with their eyes open.

Dean and Sam spoke at the same time.

Dean asked, “Did we break him?” As Sam asked, “Is he okay?” While Dean's tone was mock concern, Sam spoke with true concern for the archangel.

Castiel answered, “No, Dean. Yes, Sam. He is thinking...hard...about the upcoming events.”

Dean grunted. “If he has anything to input now would be the time.”

Suddenly Gabriel's eyes focused on Dean then flickered to Castiel before he went back to flicking them about 'thinking hard'.

Castiel's lips twitched. “Gabriel says that he is busy trying to come up with a plan to 'save your brother's,” Castiel blushed, “glorious ass from being ridden...'” The angel broke off. He decidedly did not want to repeat what the archangel had told him to say.

Sam's cheeks had gone red about the time Castiel had said 'glorious ass'.

The older Winchester said, “That isn't all of the message. Is it?”

“No. But the rest of it was more of an inappropriate image I will not describe.”

Now it was Dean's turn for his face to go red.

Beside Castiel Bobby Jo made a chocking noise. When he turned to check on his daughter she waved him away. There was amusement in her eyes he did not understand.

Bobby spoke up with, “If yer all done being idjits then get out of my kitchen. I need to get dinner started.”

On the way out of the kitchen Dean told Sam, “This discussion isn't finished.”

…

 

The brothers never did finish their 'discussion'. Not on the topic of Sam going into the Cage. Certainly not by that night.

…

 

The night was cool and clear. Thanks to Bobby living so far outside of town Sam could see the stars as he stepped off of the front porch.

When the hunter had found himself unable to sleep Sam had left the room he still shared with Dean when they stayed at Bobby's and headed down the stairs. When he saw that the kitchen was empty of angels he peeked into the study to check on Bobby Jo. Who appeared to be sound asleep and wrapped in an old afghan blanket.

Now with a beer in hand he hauled himself onto the Impala's hood, heels on the front bumper, and stared at the stars.

Sam didn't sit alone for long.

He couldn't decide if he was surprised or not. Either way, if Gabriel was expecting a reaction he didn't get one.

Neither being spoke for a handful of minutes. The only sounds was the wind and usual night sounds of insects and small animals doing whatever small animals do. At least, until Sam took the cap off his beer and flicked it off into the dark for it to land with a plink.

Sam took a sip of his beer before saying, “What _do_ you and Cas do at night when everyone is asleep?”

Gabriel hummed. Then, “Since this is only the second night Cas has been reconnected to Heaven.... Well, we were sitting on the roof of the house talking until a certain Sasquatch wandered outside.” Sam didn't have a reply to that so let the silence lapse.

The beer was half gone before either of them spoke again.

It was Sam's turn again. “It took me a long time, but I got over what you did to me and Dean at Mystery Spot.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” The hunter took a sip of beer. “I'm glad you gave up on trying to teach me that lesson. I honestly don't think I could ever let my brother go.” When it looked like the archangel would have spoken Sam said, “J-just let me speak, please.” When Gabriel nodded Sam continued. “I-if I wasn't a hunter and...and didn't live a hunter's life with the knowledge that I have of supernatural things then...” He took a deep breath before finishing with, “Then I could have let my brother go.”

“Then you and your brother would be boring people doing boring things. And Dean would have never had died cause he sold his soul for you.”

“Heh, true.”

They were quiet for a moment before Gabriel harrumphed.

Sam finally looked over at the archangel. The archangel looked like he had something to say but was unsure how to go about actually saying it.

Before Sam could ask he found his beer bottle in the angel's hand as Gabriel drank it down, then the bottle was simply gone.

“That wasn't yours,” Sam stated simply.

Gabriel smirked, slid off the car, grabbed the hunter's hand and easily pulled Sam off as well. Before Sam knew it he was standing face to face with the archangel. Who still held one of Sam's hands. Conspicuously Gabriel brought his other hand up, showed Sam a folded piece of paper, and slipped it into the hunter's jacket pocket.

Sam wanted to ask but Gabriel placed a finger across his lips with a, “Shhh. You can read it in a moment. Before that I want you to know one thing.” The archangel took a fortifying breath, pulled the taller man to him till they were chest to chest, placed a hand on the back of Sam's neck and pulled his head down for a kiss.

It started chaste, but didn't end that way.

To say that Sam was surprised would be an understatement. To say that he didn't want it would be a lie.

He shouldn't have been surprised. Sam had seen the signs of Gabe's flirting. He just hadn't known how to handle it. When someone flirted with him that he didn't know how to handle (cougars and archangels) he ignored the awkwardness it caused him as best as he could.

When he realized he wanted what Gabriel was offering the archangel was pulling away. _Not happening!_ Sam put his hands on the angel's hips, pulled him till they were connected chest to pelvis, and deepened the kiss.

Only when Sam needed to breath did he pull away. When he opened eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed the archangel was gone. He would have cursed if he'd had breath to do so.

As he walked back into the house Sam remembered the note. When he reached the front porch he opened it.

 _Sammy,_  
_I know, I know. It's not a_ Casa Erotica _DVD. Hope you're not disappointed. It's still_ _a good-bye note, but hopefully a see ya later one instead._  
_Do you remember how I was coming up with that plan to save your gorgeous ass? And your backside too ;) But to do that I need to confront my brother. Again. This time it's Mikey, at least. Hopefully he won't try to kill me before I can talk him into not fighting. If_ that goes well me and him will move onto Phase Two.  
_But if I'm not back in three days go ahead with your plan and know that this letter is “Good-bye” instead of “See ya later”.  
__Just make sure you get our brothers to promise they'll work on making that fledgling of theirs. ...and tell the little bird..._

Sam was having a difficult time reading the note. It might have been all the tears that kept forming even after he wiped them away. But every time he tried to read the sentence...he just couldn't. Chocking on emotion had a way of doing that.

The damned Archangel/Trickster God had wormed his way into Sam's life...and maybe more than that...and now he was holding a fucking good-bye note!!

The hunter found himself sitting on the steps of the porch as he skipped down a sentence or two. Which turned out to be the end of the note.

_If the kiss goes well...well I hope it can turn into something more. You really shouldn't be surprised though. In case you truly haven't noticed I like you, Sam. Every last part of your giant self._

The note was signed. As if Sam needed it to be. Regardless, it was. By a golden 'G' with six golden wings.

…

 

In a meadow on Earth an Archangel/Pagan God stood alone.

Even with his grace as low as it was the being needed to _be_ the Archangel Gabriel. As unbalanced as his two sides were, currently, Loki had to be pushed down for what he needed to do and be tonight. It wasn't an easy thing, either, to push something that was akin to being a second personality, without it actually being separate from one's “original” self, down and practically lock it away.

When the task was finally finished Gabriel opened a channel that he hadn't touched in a millennia.

**::Archangel Michael, First Born of Celestial Beings, I, Archangel Gabriel, call upon thee.... Fuck this. Get your ass down here so we can talk.::**

With a flutter of wings Michael appeared three feet in front of Gabriel. He didn't recognize the teen, but he saw the resemblance to Sam and Dean in an instant. Though Gabriel could also tell that this boy, Michael's vessel, only shared John's genetics. _A younger half-brother. Huh. Don't that just ring a bell._

“Gabriel, Brother.... I never thought I'd see you again.”

“Almost didn't when Luci nearly killed me.” The news clearly shocked the older archangel. With the question written just as clearly on the young face Gabriel added, “I suppose it's my own fault. I tried to use a trick he taught me himself.”

That angered Michael. “You _fought_ Lucifer?! That is my _job_! _My_ destiny!”

“Yeah, well, it shouldn't be!” Gabriel let his own, not so much as remembered, but buried, anger rise up. “We're _brothers_! We shouldn't _be_ fighting each other!”

“Lucifer is a monster! He needs to be destroyed! As much as I love him I have to!”

Still upset, but no longer yelling, Gabriel told Michael, “He wasn't always a monster. He was once the brightest of us all. The Morning Star.” He paused. “He was even once Dad's favorite.”

“Don't you think I don't know that, Gabriel?” Michael asked in a level tone. “I may be the first of Father's creations, but He did always love Lucifer mo-” He cut himself off. “He loved him more.”

“Until Dad made humans and told us to love them more than we did Dad. Though that's not why Luci became a monster, ya know?”

Michael narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Yeah, Luci was jealous, but he was already growing dark. Literally and figuratively. The Morning Star's light began to dim as soon as Dad gave Lucifer the key to Auntie's cell.”

A silence grew between the two archangels. That was alright. Gabriel had given his older brother much to think about.

Finally Michael spoke, “Your argument is valid.” Gabriel opened his mouth to reply, but the older archangel wasn't done. “But I still have to kill Lucifer, Gabriel. It is Father's Will. I _will_ carry it out.”

“Are you sure it's what Dad truly wants, Michael?”

“Of course it is!”

“What if I said that destiny is a load of bull crap and that 'destiny' can change?”

“It can't be changed, Brother.”

“Yeah, well, I have it on good authority that if you insist on this fight you both end up in the Cage.”

Gabriel watched as several thoughts raced through Michael's mind and a variety of feelings race across his face. The younger archangel didn't envy all that must have been going through the others mind. Gabriel had just pulled a supporting block from the bottom row of Michael's Jenga tower.

This silence stretched longer than the first. Like the first, Gabriel waited for his older brother to speak first.

When the older archangel did it was with a defeated air, but hopeful tone. “What would you have me do, Gabriel?”

Gabriel grinned. Phase two would be happening after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the broken hearts. I really am. Unless it was just me?


	18. 2 Minutes To Midnight (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has given me a lot of trouble. Took me a little while to figure out why. Partially, more cast than I know what to do with. Partiality, I'm about to go so far of script that I can't find a fanfic of someone else having the same idea. Or it's not tagged well....  
> But here goes and I hope you enjoy.

In the morning Bobby Singer and the rest of his guests found a blurry eyed Sam with a well wrinkled piece of paper in his fist. With an unreadable look he glanced between Castiel and Bobby Jo before finally handing the paper to his niece. The group watched as her face went through an array of emotions. First confusion then anger. Then they watched as her face crumbled and a tear feel down her cheek. That's when Dean took a step forward, perhaps to comfort his daughter, perhaps to snatch the note and read it for himself. But when Cas laid a hand hand on the hunter's arm the man stopped.

She didn't stay sad. Quickly after that she laughed, but that didn't last either. It was the look of concern that stayed as she handed the note to Dean.

He read it over quickly before passing it to Bobby, saying "This doesn't really change anything."

"No," the older man agreed. "We'll just have to talk to Death ourselves," he grouched. Then he muttered, "The idjit." It was underlain with his own concern. Sam's heart wasn't the only one the irritating angel had wormed into. Simply what the old hunter and the younger felt were vastly different.

...

 

In a field two brothers stood together. There concern of another flavor flavored words. The elder brother asked the younger, "Are you sure he'll talk?" One would have thought he would have asked, 'Are you sure he'll come?'

The answer to both was, "Yes." The younger brother's concern was, "I just don't know if he'll listen."

Another brother, the one they waited on, did show. With a scowl and a scathing remark on the tip of his tongue. If one were to look closely one could see both hesitancy and surprise on his peeling and pale features. "I killed you," he stated with a blank face and a blank tone. Or so he thought.

"Aw," Gabriel drew out, "Luci, you _do_ care!" Lucifer scowled. It was true though. The Fallen Archangel refused to admit to himself that he still had  _feelings_  for his brother archangels...and perhaps for the parent that allowed him to be caged like an animal. Because the  _jails_ in Heaven hadn't been good enough for him. Yes, he had feelings for them. Yes, _some_ of them could be classified as love.

That was the thing about the Archangels. They could read each other well. That's why when Lucifer had stabbed Gabriel, and came so very close to actually killing the younger angel, it had hurt Gabriel with more than physical damage to his vessel or his grace. It had hurt to see love in Luci's eyes for his little brother, but was willing to kill Gabriel for being in his way. Gabriel was willing to let go and maybe forgive if it meant that he could have his brother back. All of his brother's back.

"Michael, why have I been called here. We aren't supposed to meet here or at all for another week, at least."

The eldest shifted his eyes to the youngest and then back to Lucifer. "That's the thing, Brother. What if we don't fight at all?"

...

 

Bobby Jo eyed her Dad and Uncle Sam from her place in the back seat beside her Papa. The four of them were on the way to Davenport, Iowa to confront Pestilence once and for all. Neither Dean or Sam had wanted her to come along. Too dangerous they said. Which was why she  _had_ to go with them. Pestilence was going to be more than the two could handle alone. Even though Castiel was at full strength, instead of nearly human like he had been in the original timeline, Bobby Jo still feared for her family. Her future was changing, she could _feel_ it happening. That and they didn't seem to understand that the Horseman of Disease and Plague would be harder to fight than War and Famine had been. Originally Sam and Dean hadn't been able to stand a chance at all. They had succumbed Pestilence's attack before the hunters could get close enough to fight him.

The nephilim did not want her Dad and Uncle to go through that again.

...

 

Castiel eyed the fledgling beside him as she eyed the hunters in the front seat. He'd spent enough time with the Winchesters to recognize the stubborn gleam when he saw it. Bobby Jo was planning something. As he watched her shift back into the seat he was certain of it. That certainty was cemented as she turned a calculating eye on him.

Castiel sighed and let the heavy sounds of an electric guitar of the unfamiliar song wash over him.

 **::It's _Crazy Train_ by Ozzy Osbourne, Papa.::** It was startling to hear his daughter's voice in his mind. None of his brothers or sisters had communicated with him for awhile. Not in that particular manner.

He raised an eyebrow at the song title.  **::Somehow appropriate.::**

 **::Ain't it though,::** she grinned. Unfortunately it fell.  **::Will you help me with my plan, Papa?::**

It still warmed something inside of his vessel every time he heard the endearment from his child. It made him want to smile. So he did, even as he told her,  **::Tell me your plan. Then, perhaps.::**

...

 

"These words come from the loyalist?" Lucifer scoffed. He wanted to believe Michael truly wanted this. How could he? Michael was First Born (or rather created), and most loyal to Father. It was _Michael_  himself who had tossed Lucifer in the Cage. _Under Father's orders._

He seethed at the memory still, even as he kept calm on the outside. It was with that calm that Lucifer stated, "You would have me believe you've changed your tune, _Brother?_ " Then, turning to Gabriel, "What exactly did you say to get him agree not to fight me? I somehow doubt that that means I get to destroy this Petri dish."

"Not at all. I for one, as I already told you, like this ball of mud and what's on it."

Lucifer didn't miss how Gabriel didn't actually answer his question. He decided to let it go, for now. One thing he had learned while in that Father forsaken Cage was patience. It had taken centuries for his plans to bare fruit.

"Then if I'm not going to have any fun, and if I'm not fighting Michael, are you really planning on shoving me back in my box?" His words were tinged with disbelief and amusement. As far as Lucifer was aware there was no way to get the box open again now that he was out of it. So now way back in. So his words were meant to show his brothers how futile that idea was. But when Gabriel's eyes flickered every so briefly...Lucifer felt fear for the first time. He would not go back in! He clinched his teeth and his shoulders tensed. "We'll have that fight you are trying to avoid if that's the case."

"No, no, not that either."

"Then stop evading and tell me what this little powwow is all about, Gabriel." Lucifer was getting annoyed and let it bleed into his words.

Gabriel took a deep breath before holding up a fist to count of points. Out came his forefinger, "First, no more Apocalypse." Then he pointed to his middle finger, "Luci does a form of rehab." Gabriel ignored his brothers' twin looks of confusion. "Personally I prefer the old Morning Star, I dunno about you." He continued by pointing to his ring finger, "And while Luce gets purified of Auntie's darkness, the three of us and Raphy will learn how to be a family again. Of course, if any of this is going to happen we have to stay here on Earth. Though Mikey will have to go back to Heaven about once a day to make sure the little rascals up there aren't misbehaving too badly." Here Gabriel turned a look on the eldest archangel. "Michael, you're about as bad as Lucifer. The shit you've had your minions do to get your vessel to say yes. Seriously. That right there should have been a clue to the both of you." He pointed at each brother in turn. "You'd think that if Dad really wanted this fight to happen that just maybe your True Vessels wouldn't have put up nearly as much of a hassle as they have?"

Neither Lucifer or Michael seemed to know what to say to that.

...

 

That night outside of Serenity Valley Convalescent Home the True Vessels were asleep in the Impala. They hadn't seen their angel friend reach for them as their focus was on the nursing home. So they hadn't seen the determination on the young nephilim's face. Determination to keep her very human relatives safe. They would have understood her reasoning, and would understand when they woke up. They just weren't going to be happy about being 'kept safe' while the angel walked into the nursing home to fight Pestilence with the half-human teen by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want you all to know that I didn't see this happening at all. I wasn't sure how this part of the story would go...but I definitely didn't see it happening like this. So.... Hate it? Love it? Confused?
> 
> A reminder: This isn't the True End. Just the end of this part. I have at least a few more parts planned (one season per part) and a few time stamps to write yet.


End file.
